"Sir-highcommander-sir?" called Ksi excited, as he ran down an endless hallway, looking into rooms opening into it.
"Sir-highcommander-sir?" he yelled once more, peeking into another room. But the person he looked for was not there either. One room left, at the end of the corridor. The room of secrecy. The room of fear. Ksi shivered, as he stopped before an enormous door; the only door there was in the hallway.
"Sir High Commander, sir?" Trying to keep his breath steady, he pressed the buzzer left of the door.
"What is it?! Did I not tell everybody I'm not to be disturbed?!" came a cranky retort from the speaker above the door.
"But sir, we found it!"
"Found what? Don't tell me! Let me guess. You finally found the September issue of my Cargo Bay Watch 4-D magazine? The one with Pam E'la'lee on cover."
"No, sir! The Entity, sir. We found the Entity!"
There was an oppressive silence. Then the door hissed, slid partly open, and the High Commander's head popped into the hallway. Ksi dropped down to his knees, casting his eyes down to the floor. "The Entity? The most powerful female entity on the planet Earth of all time? Where?" asked the High Commander.
"Well, sir, we don't know yet for sure, but the observation room expects the bait to reach the Entity at any time unit."
"Good, good," said the High Commander, rubbing his hands together with anticipation. "Let's not keep them waiting. Tell me, dear Ksi, one more time, what is the name that this entity recognizes?"
"Xena, sir. Xena."
"Xena?"
"Uuhm-aargh!"
"Xena! What's taking so long? We have to get going, you know."
"Sorry, can't help it. Hunnggh. What was that stuff, anyway?"
(Silence.)
"Gabrielle?"
"Uh-oh."
"Uh-oh what?"
"There's a man coming this way. I think he's looking for us."
"Oh sh- -- awwwngh. Get rid of him. What ever you do, DON'T let anyone see me like this."
"Okay, okay. I can handle this. You just wait there and -- relax -- or something."
"Yo!" yelled the man wearing a simple, gray robe, as he ran down the hill. He stopped in front of Gabrielle, and said, "I'm looking for Xena, warrior princess. You know where she is?"
"This is not a good time," said Gabrielle quickly, turned the man around and pushed him back. "Come back later. Bye."
"But this is important. I need to speak to Xena, and to Xena alone."
"Nnggh," groaned the bush behind the bard.
"What was that?" asked the man.
"You can't go there, it's - er - not pretty."
"Is Xena in there?"
"No!" Gabrielle yelped, and moved between him and the bush, as he was about to go around her to take a better look. "Believe me, this is a very, very bad time."
"Well, I'm not leaving before I've spoken to Xena."
Gabrielle gave a frustrated sigh, and said, "Well, speak then, as I'm Xena."
"You?!" said the man dubiously. "I thought Xena was a bit taller?"
"You don't believe I'm Xena? Well whose armor is this?" said the bard, reaching behind to get Xena's breast plate. "And whose chakram is this. Whose sword? Not convinced yet? Maybe you want me to kick your butt."
"No, no, I believe," he said, and before she had time to draw back, he wrapped his arms around her, giving her a tight hug, and said, "Praise Artemis I found you!"
"Hey! Get off!" Gabrielle yelled, struggling to free herself, mumbling something about men and manners. "Now, what's the matter."
"Sorry. My name is Quenton. I come from a village nearby. You have to help us. It's just that we are desperate. You see, for weeks people have been disappearing from our village. All women. It started with farm animals..."
"Cattle. Women. I say your problem involves wild animals and young men. There, problem solved."
"But there's been other strange things going on, too. People say they've seen sunlight in the middle of the night, and thunder on a clear sky." He lowered his voice to a whisper and said, "I think there's witches involved."
The man swung around as he became aware of a tall warrior coming through the bushes, wearing only leather underwear, boots, and a pale face. "Who are you?" he asked.
"I am Xena," she answered, tugging at her shirt to drop it back in place.
"You're Xena! But she said - ." He paused, and looked at Xena, then Gabrielle, then Xena again. "Uh-oh."
"Uh-oh what?!" asked Xena with an irritated tone.
"Um ... er... you're-taller-than-I-thought-Uh-oh. I guess."
Xena rolled her eyes and sighed. "Just return to your village and tell everybody I'll come. But not until tomorrow. I have something more urgent to take care," she said, casting a murderous gaze at Gabrielle.
Late in the evening the women lay back side by side, and watched the night sky. Xena's revenge had been quick but merciful, as she was incapable of being angry at her friend too long, assuming Xena ever was truly mad at her at all. Sometimes it was hard to tell. And maybe Gabrielle's tasty make-up supper had had its effect on both of them.
"Xena, do you believe our destiny is written in the stars?" asked Gabrielle, cuddled under Xena's arm.
"Well, if my destiny includes everything I've done so far, I don't think there'd be enough stars to write it all down."
"Hmm. Good point."
"I believe destiny is something we make ourselves."
"I hope it's like that," said the bard, satisfied with the answer. She was silent for a moment, adjusted her position, and asked, "What's your favorite star?" She was in her mode of endless questions again.
"Do I have to have one?" the warrior asked back, but gave up and let her gaze wander over the bright spots on the dark sky. "Maybe that red one over there, near the horizon."
The bard gave an amused, short laugh. "Figures."
"What does?"
"That you chose the one I named Ares."
"Ares. You've got to be kidding."
"No, I really did. It's so red, unlike any other star. Besides; it moves. I tell you: there's something going on with that star."
"Gabrielle, all the stars move. They go round and round and round, never stopping."
"I know that. But they don't move relative to each other. Ares does. I've been keeping an eye on him for some time by now. See, now he's looking down near that faint star changing color frequently. Would you believe only three weeks ago he lurked around that big, yellow star going together with that little one."
"I bet you have names for them, too."
"Maybe I do."
"Well?"
"Promise me not to laugh."
Xena glanced her curiously. "Okay, I promise."
"Xena and Gabrielle."
"Ooo, now that's sweet." She paused for a moment, watching the cute couple. "What's your favorite star, then?" she continued.
"You can't see it at the moment. It hasn't come up yet. I'll tell you when it does."
"Look, out there. A falling star!"
"Wow... I wonder why they do that."
"Beats me. Maybe something on earth drags them down here. Did you know you can make a wish when that happens?"
"Sure. Let's see. I wish that..."
"Hold that wish! Did that star just change direction?"
"Zeus! It's coming right at us!"
"Take cover! Quick!"
The women threw themselves down. Soon, a blinding, bright white light was over them, followed by thunder-like, continuous rumble, and whirling wind. It seemed to stay a while in its place above them, then, as suddenly as it had appeared, it was gone.
"What the heck was that?" Xena asked. "I've never seen a star do that." But her friend didn't answer. "Gabrielle?" she called. Still no answer. As her night vision recovered, she looked around, but the bard was gone, no matter how hard she searched and called after her.
"So, this is the most powerful female entity of all time," said the High Commander, judging the blond-haired human being in a stasis field. "It doesn't look that -- hmm -- ferocious. Are you sure, Ksi, that this is the right entity?" he added thoughtfully.
"Sir! It lay in the coordinates. It has the tag," Ksi answered, shuddering under the doubt lying on him.
"Well, it is quite muscular in the legs and at the part in which these beings turn organic matter into fertilizers. Maybe you're right, dear Ksi. I've heard this interesting species has an ability of surprising. You're free to proceed."
"Thank you, sir," said Ksi, bowing until his forehead touched the floor.
"And Ksi," said the High Commander, turning on his heels at the door.
"Sir?"
"Be careful. If it gets loose -- well, you know what may happen. Do not screw up. We only have this one chance."
Ksi gasped. "Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."
The village was small; so small, that it didn't even have a name. The people living there would say it was just the right size, though. It was far from the cruel world, even though the narrow road leading there was short. For centuries it had lived a peaceful life on its own, undisturbed by the quarrels of others, as it offered nothing interesting to those who crave for wealth and power, and for the villagers the outer world had nothing to offer as well. They lived from agriculture and occasional hunting, and they were pleased with it. The earth was generous and the forest was rich, that's why the people had plenty of time to practice an ascetic religion of their own, worshipping Demeter and Artemis. But now something had shaken them out of their serene slumber.
The village woke up into a stormy morning, long before sunrise. In the heart of the village there was a square, and in the middle of the square stood a huge bell made of brass, used for calling the workers from the fields when it was the time to have lunch or dinner or any other meal, which happened quite often. Now the bell was making more noise than it ever did at lunch time, and the reason was a leather-clad woman with more weapons on than the village had in total. "Everybody up!" she shouted, and a roar of thunder emphasized her words. "Rise and shine!" She was soaking wet, water streaming down her body, but she didn't seem to care.
Lanterns were lit and people came out from houses, most of them staying at their doors. A man ran up the alley to the woman, holding a cloak over his head. "Xena, it's me, Quenton," he said when he got to her. "I wasn't expecting you. Not before the morning, I mean. What's the matter?"
The woman stopped clanging the bell, and turned to the man. Her long hair partly covered her face, making her look even more intimidating than usual. "Good, you're the one I wanted to see. Can we talk somewhere?"
"Well, sure. I'll take you to my --," Quenton began, but he was roughly interrupted.
"What's the matter here? Who are you?" said another person under a hooded cape. She was an elderly woman who leaned to a crooked stick, and a younger man supported her on her left, holding a sort of umbrella over her head. Her appearance encouraged the other villagers, who now dared to approach the warrior. Incidentally, Xena noted that every one of them were clothed in the same way; all wore simple, gray robes.
"My name is Xena. You must be the village elder."
"Eh? Speak up, my hearing isn't what it used to be," said the old woman.
"My name is --."
"Never mind. Come to my place. I can't hear you in this weather. It's getting worse, you listen to me! My bones can tell."
Lightning struck a tall birch, cleaved it in half and set it on fire. Under a pine next to it a young woman screamed and buried her face into her hands as splinters flew all around. She crawled hastily away from the burning tree, fell down, messing her auburn hair in the mud, but got up again. She was wet and cold, and the lack of clothes didn't make her existence any easier.
In daytime she would have found her way back home without any problem, since unknown to her, she wasn't far away, but now she was hopelessly lost in the dark forest. It was still a mystery to her how she had gotten there. One moment she was walking in the woods with her boyfriend, in the next she woke up all alone in the middle of the night, whipped by wind and water. The cold was getting to her bones, her lips turned blue, and she shivered.
The woman was not stupid; compared to her family, one could even call her smart. Nevertheless, she was a survivor. She knew that aimless wandering in the forest would most certainly lead to her death, that's why she had stayed in place at first, waiting for the day. But now she was threatened by freezing to death, and the only way to cope with that was to keep moving.
She got up on trembling feet and hesitated, then decided to take a direction and walk until she'd come to a path. After all, that was her only hope. Step by step, little by little she advanced. And then, like through a dream, she heard the lunch bell.
"Here, take this. It will make you feel better," said the old woman, who had introduced herself as Ezmeralda (with z, as she pointed out), and handed Xena a bowl of warm goat milk. The younger man bringing a dry blanket for Xena was Gideon, Ezmeralda's unmarried son, though calling him young wouldn't do him justice any more. He was well past fifty, and maybe the position of being the village elder's son had some advantages, as his belly had been growing for the last few years. The third villager in the room was Quenton. Even the raging storm hadn't been enough to keep the curious locals from gathering outside at the door, but Ezmeralda (with z) had shooed them away with strict words, and reluctantly they had left.
The warrior threw the blanket over her shoulders and took the bowl. Milk indeed eased her mind as well as made her feel warmer; some extra spice mixed into the milk took care of the latter. "Thanks," she said, "I'm sorry I ran here like that. I was so upset I couldn't think clearly."
"That happens, dear child," said the elder, sitting down beside the warrior and patting her on the back. "Xena, was it? Eh?"
"Yes. Don't believe everything you've heard about me, as most of the stories are exaggerated." It had been a while since anyone had called her a child. It felt strange, but surprisingly, not uncomfortable.
"Stories? No, your name tells me nothing. We seldom have any visitors from the world outside. Now, would you tell me what was so important it couldn't have waited the morning?"
Xena told her about Quenton's request for help, and how she had been camping with Gabrielle, and how a shooting star had taken her friend away. The old woman smiled compassionately, and nodded supportively from time to time. The story was just finished when there was a loud knock-knock at the door, and a distressed voice called for Ezmeralda to come out immediately.
Her name was Alia. Her mind was as numb as her body. She was only distantly aware that she had just stepped out of the forest and come to the village. Her thoughts were focused on the bell she had heard earlier, and even though it didn't make a sound any more, it still echoed in her head, and that was where she headed. Her steps were slow and short.
It's unlikely she'd ever have made it to the bell, of if she had, she'd have collapsed beside it. But some people were still curiously watching out of their houses, hoping to see a glimpse of the visitor in Ezmeralda's house, and so Stef, the laundry woman, saw this girl in the middle of the street, making her way slowly across the village. At once she woke her husband up, and took a blanket to the shivering woman.
In Alia's point of view, everything seemed to happen in slow motion and to someone else, not her. She felt like an outsider, who observed the happenings a few feet above everything. Suddenly many people were around her, and an unknown figure lifted her up easily, like she weighted nothing, and carried her into the elder's house. She saw Quenton walking by her side, but even his worried face created no emotion.
"Quenton, you have a lot of explaining to do," said Ezmeralda, and Xena accompanied her with a sharp gaze, which intimidated the poor man.
"I guess I should have told you she was missing too," he said, holding the hand of his beloved tenderly. She was lying unconscious in a bath tub filled with warm water. From Xena's experience, that was the best way to recover from lowered body temperature.
Quenton told how one evening he had seen Alia go walking into the forest. Then he had heard a distant rumble, and when he had turned, he had seen a flash of light. He had run after her, but she had already disappeared. He couldn't explain why he hadn't told anyone about the happening, but that was the thing that had made him to go after Xena. And now Alia had come back, being first of the missing women to do so. After telling it all, he broke into tears by the side of his love.
"Gideon! Come over here," Ezmeralda yelled from the kitchen. Her son came from the other room, leaving the lovers alone, and shut the door. Ezmeralda turned to Xena and whispered, "He's a good son. Not too bright, maybe, but a good son." Xena glanced at Gideon, and his expression revealed two things; that he had heard his mother's remark, and that he was used to be mocked by her.
"So, Xena," the elder continued, "You are a very exceptional woman. I see it in the way you took care of Alia. Quenton seems to think you could help us solve this mystery, and I'm beginning to believe it as well. Would you try help us?"
"It looks like Gabrielle's disappearance is very much connected to things happening in this village. I'll help you. But I need your full cooperation."
The elder promised that, and told Xena all about the disappearing women and cattle.
"You have any suspicions about who's responsible? Xena asked.
"I know some people say it's witchcraft, but I doubt it. It's more like some angry or evil god's job. Hera, or Ares, perhaps. But I have no proof what so ever. And I can't think of anything we could have done to provoke them."
"We just have to wait and see what I can find out. But I can't do anything tonight, so I think I'll go to sleep. Do you have a stable where I could keep Argo and spend the night?"
"Rena has a stable at her sheep shelter. Gideon will show you the way. But you'll sleep under my roof, of course."
"Thanks, but I'd be more comfortable in the stable. And I'll have an early morning, I wouldn't want to disturb you. For tomorrow."
"Alright, then. Oh, one more thing," said the woman, and strode to a closet in the back, and took a clean, gray robe, alike the one she and her son were wearing themselves. "Take this, and get rid of those wet leathers. I'd appreciate if you wore this as long as you're here."
"Thank you, but I think I'll stick to my own clothes."
"That was not a suggestion," said the elder with sudden sternness. "You will wear this. It's our village and our ways. Now, sleep well, child. Gideon! Go with her."
Xena went out and took her steed from the open shelter by the elder's house, and followed Gideon to the other side of the village. He knocked on one door, which opened immediately, like the resident had been expecting them. Quickly they were led to the stable, safe from the bad weather.
"Thank you," said Xena to Gideon, who nodded, and hung a lit lantern on a nail on the stable wall. "You don't talk much," she stated, and he turned at her.
"Only when I have something to say," he said. "With mother around I don't speak often. She still thinks I'm a little child."
Xena hid her smile. Thinking of Gideon as a child made little sense to her. "I know how that is, believe it or not. So, what do you think of these disappearings?"
"I'll just say one thing. Don't put too much weight on my mother's tellings. She's a wise woman, but lately, I think, her old age has started to show. But don't tell her I said that. And, please, wear the robe. Not because of my mother, but because of the other villagers." With that he went home, and left Xena to sleep in the stable loft.
First thing in the morning, Xena went to check Alia's condition. Everyone in Ezmeralda's house was sleeping, and she didn't want to wake them up. They had taken Alia out of the tub and put her into bed, as Xena had told them, and she was obviously recovering. A healthy reddening was already returning to her face. When Xena searched for her pulse, (and finding it stable and strong) she suddenly opened her eyes.
"Hush," Xena whispered to her, and pointed at the passed out Quenton on the floor.
"Who are you?" the girl whispered back.
"My name is Xena. Don't try to talk. You'll be fine."
"What's happened."
"I was hoping you could tell me. But not now. You must rest first. I'll be back, and then we'll talk." Alia fell back into sleep, and Xena left the room, running into Ezmeralda at the door.
"How is she doing?" asked the elder.
"She's a strong girl, she'll make it. Give her something warm to eat if she wakes up. I'll be back in a few hours."
She took Argo and rode back to the camp site, but the storm at night had cleared all evidence of anyone ever camping there. And if there had been any signs of the kidnapping, they were gone as well.
After a thorough search, she left the area, defeated. She returned to the village, and went to the elder's home to have her chat with Alia. But the girl was no longer there. Ezmeralda explained that since Xena had been away so long, she had decided not to wait for her, and because Alia had felt so much better, she had sent her back home. So Xena went to Alia's home, but she wasn't there, either. She went to find Quenton, but he had disappeared, too. And this time, no one had seen any lights or heard any rumble. The two people had just vanished.
The next few days Xena spent questioning villagers. She talked to Menos, a farmer, who had lost his wife, when she had went after a runaway pig. The pig was lost as well, and Xena wasn't sure about whom the man missed more; the wife or the pig. When he learned that she was to interview the village smith later, he asked her to tell the smith to hasten with his order.
Then she talked with Menos' sister, who lived in the house next to his, and her husband, and their children, but none of them could add anything new to the story, with one exception. One evening Missy, their oldest cow, hadn't made it back home from the fields.
Then there was a sweet, old weaver lady called Sigourney, who was responsible of making all the robes. In fact, robes were the only kind of garments she ever had learned to make, and she wasn't too good in that, either, but no one had the heart to tell her that. The funny thing, she told Xena, was that she knew it perfectly well herself. But she was the only legitimate weaver in town, and so she was to make all the clothes. That's why everyone wore robes. She had lost a daughter a few weeks back.
The next on Xena's list was the smith, named -- Smith, surprisingly. She stepped into his workshop and found it deserted. There was no fire in the forge and the tools were just hanging on the wall. In the back of the room she found a door leading into his living quarters. She knocked on it, heard no answer, knocked again, then opened the door and stepped in.
Smith sat at his kitchen table, staring at a clumsy painting on the back wall. He was an ordinary looking man, average height, maybe a little skinny. Actually, nothing in his appearance suggested that he was a smith. Not that the smith had to be bulky and abnormally strong, on the contrary, but this man wasn't even sooty, nor did he have the smith's vest on. When he heard the door open, he started and turned at the newcomer, but recognizing (or not recognizing) Xena, his face expressed disappointment, then returned to dullness.
"Excuse me," Xena said, "I'm looking for the smith."
"I was the smith," said the man quietly, not even glancing at her.
"My name is Xena. Ezmeralda asked for me to investigate this matter of disappearing people."
"Whatever."
"I heard your wife is missing..."
"My dear Anna... She's gone forever. Taken by lights. If I ... if I just could turn back the time..." He sighed deeply, shook his head, and finally took a look at Xena.
"How did it happen?" she asked.
"She went out at night to ... you know. There was a flash of light and ... after that I never saw her again."
"Could you show me where, please?"
"Out of that door, and left, I think," the smith said, waving his hand at narrow back door. "I miss her so much... If only... if only had I been more careful... I should have known..."
"Come on. It wasn't your fault. Don't bury yourself in self-accusations."
"What else could I do? Anna was my everything."
"Well, I've learned that in situations like this, doing something you like may help. Make a horseshoe, for example. Just get started with something," Xena advised. "Anyway, that's all for now. I promise I'll find out what's happened to your wife, and bring her back if it's possible." Then she went out the same way Smith's wife had gone that last night.
"Sir, we may have a problem," said Ksi precautiously.
"Problem? There should be no problems. My plan is perfect," said the High Commander.
"Yes, sir. It's not the plan. Your plans are as precise and complete as always. But we can't get it to grow in the stasis."
"Grow in the stasis? Oh bummer. Of course not. Whose stupid idea was that? Well, we can't let the Entity run around the ship, can we?"
"No sir. I just wish we could go and release the Entity temporarily into its natural environment."
"Are you mad?! Go and release the Entity temporarily into its natural environment?"
"Sir! What an excellent, cunning plan! We can release it, and wait until it grows, then bring it back in. Brilliant! The brightness of your mind puts all the rest of us in shadow. Why didn't I think of it."
"Uhm. Hmm. Well, that's why I'm the High Commander and you're just a lieutenant."
"Yes, sir. That's what it must be. Where would we be without you, sir."
"You'd still be at a waste refinery at Beta Ceti 3, dragging three hundred gigaton garbage packages and trying to avoid bumping into asteroids. Well, what are you waiting for? Get on with it already."
For three days Xena spent looking around the village, questioning the people, searching for clues, making notes. She put her nose in every shed, stable, cowhouse, doghouse and outhouse, and found zip, zero, null, nada and nothing, in that order. But sometimes not finding anything can be as much a clue as a -- well, a clue. That was the caption on the wall in Argo's stable, under which there was a drawing with lines, numbers and names. One morning, Xena stood in her thoughts before this drawing, a charcoal still in her hand. Suddenly, she heard the barn door open, and quickly covered the drawing with a saddle blanket.
"There you are, Xena. Come on and put this on," said Rena, Xena's hostess and the owner of the stable, as she rushed in.
"What's this?" Xena asked, unwrapping a piece of gray cloth Rena threw her. "But I already have a robe."
"This is a ceremonial robe. What? Didn't anybody tell you? Never mind, I'll explain it on the way. Hurry, we don't wanna be late."
The people of the village had formed a ring around a large, flat bedrock, on which stood a High Priest, a hood covering his face. In front of him there rose a pointy stone, casting a sharp shadow on a face of clock drawn on the rock under his feet. Even though now the weather was sunny and the sky clear, heavy rain in the past days had turned the dirt into a soft and muddy swamp, and people were practically balancing on hummocks, trying to keep their boots dry.
Xena and Rena took a place behind the others. Menos, the farmer, greeted the warrior with a broad smile, thanking her for her services. "I don't know what you told the smith," he said, "but now I have my horse shoes. Many people tried, but maybe a foreigner was needed to waken him."
The farmer was quickly silenced by many angry looks, and when all was set the High Priest began a chant. "O' Demeter. O' Artemis. Please, hear us."
"Is that Gideon?" Xena whispered to the woman standing by her side.
"Yes. Didn't you know?" she whispered back.
"Hush. Quiet," said an older man in front of them.
"Sorry," said Xena, and pulled the hood deeper over her head, as several, irritated people glanced towards the cause of the disturbance.
The ceremony went on. Gideon called for the gods. He prayed for the missing women, and the crowd responded with chanting after his guidance. "Oh, mighty Demeter," he chanted. "Give us a sign. Please, if you can, bring us a message from the people we miss. Are they alive? Are they dead? Hades, the master of the Underworld. If you have their souls, please tell us, so that we can mourn."
And they got a sign, though it was not of the kind they had asked for. First, a deep silence fell, and all the nature was still, like in anticipation of a big scale disaster. Then, a shadow passed over their heads so quickly that most of them didn't notice it at all, followed by a loud, short howl, which had them hold their ears. And last, but not least, came a wind, hard and strong, bending trees and striking all the villagers down, Xena included.
The phenomenon passed, and everything around was soon back to normal, apart from a few fallen trees, and a lot of dirty people. They were stunned at first, but soon a confused babbling filled the air as everyone asked each other if they were all right, and about the thing itself. Somewhere a child was crying, another joined him, and their parents tried to comfort them.
"May I have your attention, please," said Gideon from his pedestal. He repeated his words twice, but still nobody listened. Finally, Xena jumped onto the rock, too, and shouted 'Hey!' with her most commanding voice, and like magic, every face turned toward her.
"Thank you," said the priest to her, and turning to the villagers he spoke, "Does anyone have a clue what that was?" The people just looked at each other, or at ground, or started to clean their robes intently, ignoring the question.
"Alright," the priest continued, expecting support from Xena, but she shook her head as well. "I think the ceremony is over for the time being. If that was a sign, it meant the gods don't care about our problem. But I think it wasn't. So go home, friends."
"What about our clothes?" yelled a woman from the left side. She was so covered with mud she could have been anyone, she was so unrecognizable.
And another muddy woman on the other side responded, "Oh well, bring all your dirty clothes to me in the laundry. The mud is easier to remove when it's still fresh. Hey, Rena! Wanna give me a hand?"
"Sure, Stef," answered Rena next to the latest speaker, happy to be able to help.
The villagers were leaving, and Xena followed them in the company of Ezmeralda. Then she noticed that Gideon had stayed behind, and glancing back she saw him deep in thought by the sundial.
"Rena, would you escort Ezmeralda to her home. I'll follow you shortly," she said to the woman on her other side, and turned back, heading towards the high priest.
"Odd," she heard him mumble, as she came closer. "Very odd," he said once more, looking at the sundial, then turning his gaze at the sun, then at the dial again.
"What is it, Gideon?" Xena asked.
"Oh, Xena. I didn't hear you coming." He rounded the sundial, crouched by its side, and examined it all over, shaking his head. "I don't get it."
"What?"
"Look at the time."
"So?"
"What is it?"
"Exactly two hours past noon. What's so strange -- Mother of Zeus!"
"That would be Rhea. Zeus's mother, I mean. Anyway, the ceremony normally lasts an hour at most. And this time we were interrupted. If I didn't know better, I'd say we just lost one hour of our lives."
"That's not possible. Is it?"
"I don't know. I'm not a scientist."
"What about that rumble? And wind? Could they cause anything like that? Or maybe they are not the reason, maybe they are the result."
"Don't know about that either. Actually, I was just about to ask you about that."
"Are you sure the dial doesn't lie?"
"It can't lie. It gets the time directly from the sun. Unless something has turned the sundial itself. But I already checked that; the dial is in its place."
"Then, maybe the sun is wrong."
Gideon looked at her quickly, but saw she wasn't joking. He glanced at the sun once more, and said, "Well. That would explain the rumble and the wind. If Apollo decided to alter the course of the sun, I reckon the consequences could be something like what we experienced today."
"There you are," said Ezmeralda, when Xena later entered her house. "I've been expecting you. You're just on time."
"For what?" asked the warrior with unpleasant suspicions.
"You'll see," said the old woman mysteriously, and hummed an old children's song while adding more wood into stove, on which a large pot of water was boiling. Before Xena had time to start a conversation (as she had some very important questions), the elder turned at her and said, "You look strong for your age. I bet you could lift this pot up for me. Could you?"
"I guess I could. Where do you want it?"
"Follow me," said the elder, and went to the room where they had revived Alia a little earlier. Xena followed her, bearing the heavy pot. "Pour it in here," Ezmeralda said, pointing the bath tub."
"You're planning to take a bath," Xena stated, and emptied the pot into the tub.
"Oh yes," the elder said, "but only after you."
"No offense, but I'm used to bathing in the nature. The river flowing by the village suits me perfectly."
"Nonsense. You'll bath here and that's it. After what you did to Alia, you've deserved it. You saved her life, eh?"
"But..."
"No buts. I don't know how it is with you warriors, but in this village people tend to wash every now and then. Into the tub you go."
A subtle breeze waved the clean robes hanging on the clothes line by the river. The air couldn't have been better to do laundry. The two washer women still had a lot of work to do, as the pile of dirty clothes was showing no sign of getting smaller.
"So, Rena," said the other woman, "What do you think of our guest?"
"Who, Xena?" Rena asked back.
"How many guests do we have? Of course I mean Xena."
"Of course, Stef, silly me. Hmm, I don't know. She seems tough. Even scary."
"I know what you mean. I wouldn't try to stand against her, and I recommend you don't either. She has a very intimidating look."
"She does, indeed. But I think she's not that bad. She's just worried for that missing friend of hers."
"Maybe so. I still wonder if it was a good idea to ask for her to help."
"Oh, she wouldn't hurt us. If she's tough, she only harms the bad people."
"How come you're so sure?"
"She's good to her horse. Anyone who loves her horse like she does, can't be all bad."
Stef laughed. "Well, you know it, Rena." She took a cloak out of the tub and hung it on the line to dry, then stopped in her thoughts. "Hey Rena," she said, "How many robes have you washed?"
"Today? Two. We just got started. No, three. Why do you ask, Stef?"
"Well I've washed four. That adds up to seven, right?"
Rena took her hands out of the wash tub, and concentrated on counting her fingers. "Right," she at last confirmed, after the third recount.
"So why's there only six robes on the line?"
Xena realized it had been a whole week since her last bath. It had happened in a cool creek together with Gabrielle, and since that she had been too busy with other things even to think about washing. A smell test at her armpit nearly knocked her unconscious, and that settled it.
She took off her dirty robe, her armor underneath, and her undergarments, and slipped into the bath. She liked the way it was; just a little bit too hot, so that it held her tense at first, but as her body adapted with the heat, it became a heaven. In other words; it was perfect. She moaned in pleasure, feeling how the tension released and her muscles relaxed together with her mind.
"I see you like it hot," said Ezmeralda smiling, coming into the room with another, smaller bucket of hot water. She mixed some cold water into it, and poured it in. Perfect, again, as the water in the tub was already cooling. Then she took a little bottle and dropped a few drops from it to the bath. A sweet and intoxicating fume filled Xena's senses.
"Mmm, thank you," said the warrior. "Hey, what do you think you're doing with my armor?"
"I'll clean it, silly you. And I'll bring you another, clean robe as well. Just lie back, child, and enjoy the life. You've deserved it."
And that was what Xena did. She shrugged and lay back, pushing away the uncomfortable doubt coming to her when someone else touched her personal things. But the doubts eased when Ezmeralda returned in a few minutes and poured another bucket of warm water into the tub. Yes, she was in heaven. On the other hand, she hated herself for being able to enjoy it while her best friend was still missing, and she should be searching for her. But damn -- this felt good.
She fell into a dreamy state where the reality obscured, and her mind was filled with an awareness that for a moment she was just allowed to be. And again the kind woman came in, took the bucket, hoisted it up above her, and poured more lovely, wonderful, clean -- ICY COLD water!
Xena screamed, too shocked to rise until the water ceased to come. Then she bolted up with a dagger in her hand, grabbed the woman by her shirt, and pulled her closer. That's when she realized she wasn't looking at Ezmeralda's face. It was Gabrielle, wearing one of the ceremonial robes. And pretty angry she was, if Xena ever had learned to read her expressions.
"That was for leaving me alone in the forest," the bard said coldly. "I'll still get revenge for hiding my clothes."
"Gabrielle," Xena yelped, and embraced her friend, with tears of relief flowing down her cheeks.
"Umm, Xena. Xena! You're strangling me."
"Oh. Sorry," said Xena and let go, but then hugged again.
"Xena, what's up? You're acting like we'd been separated for ages, instead of a few hours."
"Gabrielle, it HAS been ages! Well, days at least. Don't you remember anything?"
"Hey! The last thing I remember is watching the stars with you, and the next I know is the morning in the forest at our camp site, all alone without a trace of you. And undressing me while I was sleeping! I don't know how you did it, but it was a dirty trick, even from you."
It took a quite an effort to convince Gabrielle that she really had been missing for days. It wasn't enough that Xena told the story, she had to hear it again from Ezmeralda's perspective, and even after that she had more questions for Gideon; questions, which were answered by his mother.
"So, have you figured out who did it?" the bard asked, when she walked beside Xena to Rena's barn, where Xena had something she wanted to show her.
"No. Sorry."
"Oh! I've an idea. Maybe we could try a trick. Let's make someone disappear by ourselves and see what happens. Maybe it will lure out those responsible for these happenings."
"Hey, you're beginning to think like me," Xena chortled, "but it's not the time for that yet." She picked up a chunk of charcoal from the remains of an old trash pyre, and went into the stable, beckoning Gabrielle to follow. "Let's make this clear. Who or what could be behind this? I think we agree it must be something supernatural," she said and paused, then drew a Roman 'I' on the wall. "First; Quenton suspected witchcraft." She wrote 'Witches'. "Now, what would a witch do with four women who have nothing in common?"
"Beats me," said Gabrielle.
"I could understand one, maybe two, as a sacrifice or something, but five in a row? Not likely. I think we can rule them out." She drew a long line over the words.
"Second possibility," she said, and drew 'II'. "Gods." She wrote that after the Roman number two. "Kidnapping women doesn't seem to match in any god's profile I know."
"Agreed," said Gabrielle, "If they wanted women or something, why not take the whole village?"
"True," said the warrior, and drew a large X over the second choice. "What next?"
"A beast? Monster?"
"Okay," said the warrior, drew 'III', and added, "Third; a beast. Tell me, why can't it be a beast?"
"Well, the beasts usually don't radiate bright light."
"Correct. Nor do they make wind and thunder. At least not in unison." She drew an X over the beast as well. "Anything else?"
"Uh, I'm out."
"Well, then there's just one more possibility left," Xena said, and drew 'IV' on the wall, and three letters after that.
"U - F - O," spelled the bard. "What's that?"
"An Unknown Female Obliterator."
"Oy! Isn't 'obliterate' a bit exaggerated? I got away unharmed, didn't I?"
"Yes, you did, but we still don't know how. Maybe the your kidnapper was about to obliterate you like the others, but something happened. Anyway, it's a long shot."
"So, we're back at the beginning."
"Not necessarily. We can try another approach. Look at this." Xena turned, and took down Argo's saddle blanket hanging on the opposite wall, thus unveiling her drawing.
"What's that?"
"A map of this village. I've marked the places where people claim they have seen those lights, and where the women vanished."
"And?"
"Well, I was hoping you could help with this. I've tried to find a pattern in this picture, but so far I've had no luck. I must be missing something. It makes no sense, and it's driving me nuts."
"So, have you figured out why all these disappearances have happened outside of the limits of the village, with the exception of one?"
"No, and that's one thing that -- That's it! Why didn't I see it myself," Xena yelled, pressing a big kiss on her friend's forehead, and rushed out.
"Okay, so I made the connection once again," Gabrielle muttered, alone in the barn. "Would someone, please, enlighten me about what I've done?"
Xena ran to the other side of the village, where the smith's forgery stood. There she was faced with villagers crowding at the door of the workshop, some of them looking outraged, some just curious. From the forgery a constant hammering revealed that Smith was at work. She made her way through the crowd, and stopped at the door.
"Look at him," said one of the villagers angrily. "He was supposed to make me a pitch fork."
"And a shovel for me," said another, "and now all he makes is horse shoes. If I find out who's responsible for this, I'll stick those horse shoes deep into... er.."
He was silenced by the warrior woman's most intimidating gaze. Leave, it said to the crowd, in a silent but very effective way. Soon the workshop was empty from outsiders, and Xena got her chance to talk with the smith who didn't stop hammering for a second to greet her. When his current piece of work was finished, he threw it down to the floor on top of a huge pile of horse shoes, and put a new piece of iron into the forge.
"Smith," called Xena emphatically. When the man still ignored her, she grasped his wrist, thus preventing him from continuing his work. "Your wife wasn't kidnapped by the lights, was she?"
Smith started, and unintentionally glanced Xena. "How did you know?" he asked.
"It was quite self-evident, actually. I don't know why It took me so long to discover. But tell me, what did happen?"
"And accident," the smith sighed. "I was just finishing my work here at one night, and I left the workshop alone for a moment. I wan only away for a few minutes, and when I returned, she..." His voice broke, and he had to sit down before he was able to continue. "I returned, and she lay on the floor, there, by the forge, and by her side lay a wooden beam, which I had leaned against the wall earlier."
"It's the very same wood I'm burning under the forge right now. But Anna; I took her to the forest and up to the hill that was dear to us. I buried her on the top, and piled a great pile of rocks on her grave. I've grieved her death ever since."
"I'm sorry for your loss," said Xena. Then she noticed how he clenched his hands into fists, and a vein in his forehead began to throb. He was mad with anger. "Smith? What is it?"
"I just remembered something. When I went to the hill next morning, I found her grave desecrated. The stones were scattered all over the hill, and her body was missing. It didn't look like a work of any beast. When I find out who did it..."
"Stop it, Smith. Calm down. Don't let your rage take over. As soon as I've solved this other mystery, I promise I'll get into your problem. On the second thought, perhaps I'll go see the grave tomorrow. Who knows; maybe these two cases are somehow connected."
When Xena rushed to meet the smith, Gabrielle was left alone in the stable. Actually, she wasn't alone, as Argo stood in her stall, obliviously chewing hay. "You don't happen to know what happened in here?" she asked rhetorically, just to do her usual chat, and rubbed the mare's muzzle. "You missed me, didn't you, girl?" But Argo just snorted, and took another mouthful of hay.
Then there was a silent squeak as the outer door opened a little, then closed again after letting in a hooded figure moving very suspiciously. Gabrielle gave Argo a sign to stand still, pulled her own hood over her face as well, and sneaked quietly to the other side of the stall. The figure came closer, took a peek into Argo's stall, and that was the time for the bard to attack. Unfortunately, she was in weaker position, and the intruder saw her in time to pull back.
The intruder started for the door and got there before the bard, but he was caught before he could open it. Gabrielle bashed at the door, thus closing it right before he could escape. She grabbed his clothes, and started to push him away from the door. She noted they were about the same height and weight, and when he grasped her wrist, she was certain she could match his strength as well.
She pushed ahead, and her opponent resisted, but was forced to move back. He tried to surprise her by making a step sideways and pulling her down, but Gabrielle knew the trick well, and they just ended up circling around each other. Then she made a pull to get him off the balance, which otherwise worked just fine, but unfortunately, it was not the bard who came down on top. In the critical moment she stepped on the hem of her borrowed, overlengthy robe, and stumbled down.
Her opponent sat on her waist and tried to pin her against the floor, but her skills were superior, and soon the situation was reversed. "Now," Gabrielle said in between her panting, "let's see what you look like." She reached for his hood, and uncovered his face. And then she gasped in surprise.
Her opponent turned out to be a girl.
She was maybe a little younger than Gabrielle, had auburn hair and brown eyes which looked at the hooded bard defiantly. "Who are you?" Gabrielle asked, and removed her hood.
"Are you the woman the warrior searched for? The one who was captured by a star?" the girl asked.
"Yes, that's me, I suppose. Gabrielle is the name."
"Then you're the one I was looking for. My name is Alia. We have something in common."
"There," said Xena to her waiting friend when she returned to the barn, and marked over the sign in the middle of the village on the map. "One mystery solved."
"How?" asked Gabrielle.
Xena briefly explained what had happened in the Smith's house. "Now this picture is getting clear," she continued.
"And how, if I may enquire?"
"Don't you see? Now all the signs are outside of the village."
"So? What does it tell us?"
"Well, it tells us that -- Well, you see -- That whoever took these women is -- afraid of public places." Xena glanced Gabrielle who had crossed her arms, and wore her most sarcastic smile. "How should I know. It must mean something," the warrior continued, frowning with irritation.
"Yeah. Right. Whatever you say." The bard amused herself with watching the bewildered Xena, until she said, "You know, while you've been spending your time on nonsense, I've actually come up with something useful."
"Like what?"
"Well, there's someone with a story you would like to hear, up there in the loft. Hey, Alia!"
Quenton was nervous. He had been hiding with Alia in the cellar of his house, and when today he had gone to fetch some more food, the girl had disappeared. On one hand he hoped that she had just run away, on the other he feared it. But the alternative would have been even more horrible.
When he had noticed her disappearance, he at once had gone to look for her at her home. After that, he went to Ezmeralda's house, and then rounded the village. Now, as the sun was already setting, he was back at her home, which seemed empty. Warily he peeked in through a window, then sneaked to the other side of the house.
"Looking for something?" said a voice, and startled him. It was Xena lying carelessly on her side, on the roof of a low tool shelter, leaning on her other elbow, and a long straw sticking out from her mouth. She had taken off her robe, and was wearing only her armor, with all her weapons clearly visible.
"Xena!" he yelped. This woman made his mouth dry, and this time she seemed to have something personal against him. "How... how's it going?"
"Not so bad, actually," Xena said, "Which reminds me. I have a few questions for you."
"What's on your mind?" he asked, his voice breaking into a funny squeak.
"This village is quite isolated from the news and the outer world. So, how did you know to come for me for help?"
Quenton started again. "I heard about you from someone. It must have been Ezmeralda. She knows a lot of things."
"Are you sure?"
"Uhm -- yes. I'm quite sure about that," Quenton said and turned away to leave. But Xena flipped down from the roof and seized him, pulling him out of sight into an alley between two houses, and lifted him up against the wall by his collar.
"You're lying," she fumed. "Ezmeralda knew nothing about me. Nor did anybody else here. And earlier you lied about not being with Alia when she was kidnapped, and I think now you lie again. Why?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said.
"Not good enough," she said, and made use of her knowledge about pressure points. "I've cut the flow of blood to your brain. I don't think Alia will be pleased to find her lover dead, so you better start telling the truth and fast."
"Okay, okay. I'll tell you everything I know, but it isn't much."
"Good boy. Go on."
"Well, as you already seem to know, I was walking in the woods with Alia, enjoying the nature and life, and having fun. It was turning to evening, when suddenly we were blinded by light and deafened by thunder. After that I don't know what happened, and neither does Alia. Next I awoke tied up to a kind of a chair in the middle of some people. I don't know who they were. I only saw glimpses of their shadows, and heard their voices. I was blinded by lanterns, except that they weren't lanterns. They were too bright to be lanterns. And their voices were somehow strange. I'd dare to say; inhuman."
"Uh-huh. Then what happened?" Xena asked, and released the pinch. This was getting weird.
"They said who you are, and that they must get in contact with you, and unless I help them, I wouldn't see Alia ever again." He bursted into tears. "They told me roughly where to find you, and gave me a tiny needle to place on your clothes when I'd meet you. And I found you, alright. Unfortunately --"
"Unfortunately," Xena interrupted, "you mistook Gabrielle to me, and placed the needle on her."
"Yes."
"Now we're making some progress. Did they tell you what they want from me?" But Quenton shook his head, and she let him go. "Okay," she continued. "No hard feelings. You did what you believed was right, I can't blame you for that. But don't make the same mistake again. One more lie, and I won't be this understanding."
At night, Gabrielle woke up. Instinctively her gaze searched for Xena, finding her sitting before the wall, looking at the map. "Xena? What's wrong?" asked the bard.
"Nothing really. I just couldn't get sleep," Xena replied, and sighed.
"Something's bothering you, I can tell. What is it?"
Xena saw it was useless trying to cover her uneasiness, so she laid back down on her bedroll, and opened up. "I feel so damn helpless. So completely out of ideas. I have many leads, but none of them seems to lead anywhere."
"You can't give up now, Xena," Gabrielle encouraged, and moved her own blanket next to Xena. "The truth is out there, and I know you can discover it. Something will come up."
Xena looked into her eyes and smiled listlessly. "I want to believe, but if only could I have your faith..."
"You don't need faith. You'll do the right thing, anyway. Come on, let's sleep. Things will be clearer in the morning." And Gabrielle laid down under Xena's arm, laying her head on her shoulder.
They closed their eyes, but something still made Xena nervous. It took a while for her to identify what it was. She sat up, and listened. But the sound she had heard disappeared. Shaking her head she laid back and relaxed. And there it was again. "Gabrielle," she whispered.
"Mmm?" the bard answered drowsily.
"Do you hear that?"
"What?"
"The noise. That strange, high-pitched beeping."
"I don't hear a thing."
"Hush. Quiet." Xena closed her eyes and listened, trying to locate the source. "It's you! You're making that sound!" she announced with astonishment.
"Me? How?"
"How should I know. Now, shut up." Xena put her ear over Gabrielle's chest, and listened. "Stop giggling," she said, moving up towards the sound source.
"You stop tickling," Gabrielle chuckled.
Xena gave her friend an irritated glance, sighed, and continued the work. "I think I found it," she finally said, examining her friend's neck.
"What is it?" Gabrielle's voice quickly became nervous.
"I don't know. Some sort of red, blinking thing that goes 'beep'."
"Can you take it off?"
"It seems to be under your skin. Zeus knows how deep it goes. I wouldn't touch it unless I have to. No, we have to find a better way, and anyway, you don't seem to be in imminent danger. Now, I have a theory, but it requires some thinking. Try to get some sleep if you can."
Next morning, the smith took Xena and Gabrielle to his wife's violated grave. However, on the way there they ran into a young couple.
"Alia! A word with you," Xena yelled, and caught up with the girl and her fiance, who were going to the fields.
"What is it, Xena?" Quenton asked, and stopped.
Xena ignored him and spoke to Alia. "Have you thought of anything new since yesterday?"
"No, I'm afraid not," said the girl. "I still can't remember anything from the moment I was walking in the forest with Quenton 'til the time when I woke up with him beside me in Ezmeralda's home. I've been trying and trying, but it's like nothing ever happened."
"You may have been unconscious the whole time, in which case there would be nothing to remember. So, don't push it."
"Okay, Xena."
"Okay. Listen, I have a small request for you."
"Sure. Anything at all."
"May I see your neck?"
"My neck -- why?" Alia was confused, but turned her neck at Xena anyway.
"Just a hunch," Xena responded, and took a close look at her upper spine. "Hmm, yes. Thank you."
"What was that? What did you see in her neck?" Quenton asked.
"Nothing," Xena replied truthfully, and then she was on her way again.
The grave was just like the smith descibed, considering the fact that rain and wind had practically filled the hole with dirt, and wiped away all possible traces. Several feet behind the grave there lay a huge tombstone; a stone so large it was a small miracle Smith had been able to drag it up to top of the hill. A pretty strong had to be that creature, too, that had turned it over to get to the corpse. And moreover; on closer examination Xena discovered that not only had the stone been turned over, it was also several inches below the earth surface, like it had been dropped to its place from high above. Other than that there was nothing to find, and the party returned to the village in a disappointed mood.
In the middle of the night, something disturbed Xena's dream, and she woke up. Instantly she noticed Gabrielle missing. She sprang up calling her friends name, but getting no answer she picked up her armor and weapons, and ran out just in time to see a blond-haired woman enter the woods. Xena followed quietly behind her, keeping some distance to remain unnoticed.
The bard walked straight forward, and not once did she look back. She seemed to know exactly where she was going, and soon she arrived at an opening. Xena stayed out of sight, keeping a close eye on the younger woman standing immobile in the middle of the opening, her face turned up at the sky.
Then suddenly, a strong wind rose and there was a sphere of blinding bright light above the field, together with a thunder-like sound. "They are here," Xena thought, having no idea who 'they' might be. She came out of her shelter, running towards Gabrielle's position as fast as she could. She reckoned that if she didn't make it, she would lose her friend again.
She ran towards the brightest light, and while she did, the sound became stronger. Somewhere inside the light, some slightly darker figure, like a shadow, was hoisted upwards. She flipped up at the shadow, her hands met something solid, and desperately she clung to that. She felt it was leather; Gabrielle's boot. But she couldn't stop it, as an unknown force took a hold on her as well, lifting her higher and higher, towards a still brightening light.
"What's happening? Why that alarm?"
"The mass is out of the field configuration limits."
"It's taking too much energy! I recommend we abort at once."
"Negative. Try channeling power from plasma conductor arrays."
"Not responding. Containment field at 30%. Compensating."
"Where the heck did that another entity come from?"
"Field now at 20%. Still trying to compensate."
"Sir, you should move to safety. This may get ugly."
"Call security!"
"It's breaking free! It's breaking free!"
"Abort! Abort!"
"Too late. Leave the facility!"
"Get out! Seal the doors! Seal it, quick!"
--booom--
Xena smashed the hilt of her sword at the wall of the glass chamber, which shattered to little pieces. She leaped into a room unlike any other she had seen before. The floor was solid and hard, like metal, but it didn't feel like metal. Very strange equipment lay all over, some of it smoking, some abandoned in haste. Buttons, levers, colored lights, tubes, containers, glimmering instruments, screens with foreign writing and inexplicable pictures, and above all there was a constant hum.
"Where am I?" asked Gabrielle behind her, shaking her head, like awaking from a long dream.
"I don't know for sure," Xena answered. "But I'm gonna find out. How are you doing?"
"Confused, but fine otherwise. Where did the barn go? How did I end up in this place?"
"Sleepwalking, my dear friend. Let's see... this door-thing slid shut when I came in. See if you can find a mechanism to open it."
"Can we see what they're doing?" asked the High Commander.
"No, sir. The explosion overcharged all monitor devices. I can't get a picture," Ksi replied.
"So how do you know the entities are still alive? Maybe they were killed in the explosion."
"I wouldn't take that risk, sir. It's best that we just wait for security to do their job."
"How long will that take?"
"Not too long, I hope. Right now, as we speak, our bravest fighters are making their way through the air conditioning ducts towards the lab."
"And we're safe here?"
"Perfectly safe, sir. That lab door is solid, three-fold shielding steel. A three-tailed Cylock from Morgon 7 couldn't break through that door."
"Well I'm tired of waiting. Go to the door and listen. Maybe you can get a hint about their movement or something."
Ksi approached the door, and warily pressed his ear against it. "Thoom!" said the door, as something heavy bashed at it on the other side, and Ksi retreated horrified.
"Looks like they don't know about Cylocks," said the High Commander.
"THOOOM!" said the door louder, and the whole room quaked.
"Uhm, yes," Ksi answered, and a drop of sweat was starting to make its way down his forehead.
Then another noise frightened them; metal clashing against metal, then biting into the gap between the two door parts, just above the lock.
"Sir, it will hold. There's nothing to worry about. It will hold. It will hold. It will..." Ksi stopped in the middle of the sentence and suddenly, everything was dead quiet. Everybody listened.
"What is it?" the High Commander whispered at last.
"I don't like the sound of that -- silence. They're up to something. I recommend that we move to a safer place."
"And how will that help? We can't hide forever, if they break free."
"No, sir. We can't. But please, go to safety, sir. I may have a plan."
And then it happened. Something cut through the door above the lock, bounced back from the opposite wall and returned, making a cut under the lock. Everybody escaped to the next corridor, missing how the lock was dashed across the room by great force, and how the lab doors bashed open, and then the earth entities stepped out.
"Now what?" asked Gabrielle.
"Now were going to find those behind all this," Xena answered, and started walking across the empty corridor to the left. She found a door and pushed, but it didn't open. There was no lock, but a panel with red and green light on the right side. She pushed the green light, and to her surprise, the door started to slide into the wall. "Let's see, what do we have in here... Oh my."
"What's that? Oh my," said Gabrielle, stepping into the room after Xena.
"I think we found Missy," said Xena. During her life she thought she had seen everything, but this was new.
"Poor cow," said Gabrielle. It was indeed Missy the cow, but she was tied into an unnatural position on a metallic table. Her inner organs lay on other tables, each in separate box, tagged and labeled. The women left the room in shock.
The next room seemed to be a kind of a warehouse, except that things were neatly placed each in its own, transparent cabinet. By the walls large glass tubes contained human bodies.
"Xena, they're all in here! The missing women."
Xena took a closer look. "I think they're still alive. But their life signs are very weak."
"Shouldn't we release them?"
"Yes, but not yet. Lets do what we were planning to do, and find out what they want from us. Then we must find a way out."
"Gee, this place is HUGE," said Gabrielle when they entered another empty hall. They had walked through hallways, checking room after room, astonished by the devices and equipment they found but couldn't understand their meaning. But where ever they went, something remained the same; there were no people around.
"You're right," Xena answered, "but have you noticed something? All the corridors are quite low, and so are the doors. Even you need to bend down to enter a room.
"I know. You're used to that, of course. Hey! Maybe the inhabitants are midgets."
"Uh, Gabrielle," Xena yelled by the wall, where she was looking out of an elliptical window.
"Yes?"
"I don't think we're in Hellas any more."
"Oh? Where then?"
"You better come here and take a look yourself."
Gabrielle looked out, closed her eyes in disbelief, and opened them again. But the view was still there. The blue, green and white view, which slowly drew away. "Xena, is that what I think it is?
"If you think it's the Known World escaping from us, then we're thinking about the same thing. And if I still remember anything from the maps I've seen -- well, I think I saw a glimpse of some unknown worlds, too. Makes me wonder... what if I had ... an apple, for instance, and I opened the window and..."
"I knew it!" yelled the bard suddenly, and grabbed Xena on her breast plate. "I knew it I knew it I knew it! It IS round, not flat."
"At least from now on we won't need to worry about dropping down from the edge of the world when sailing on unknown waters."
For a moment they just adored the beauty of their planet, then a bang from the corridor made them leave the window and run to the sound source. Xena left the room just in time to see a door turn shut nearby. She lept to the door and kicked it open.
She entered a storage room with pale illumination. The reason for the noise stood at the back of the room, in front of a long shelf loaded with boxes and baskets containing all kind of unknown equipment. He, it, whatever, turned around when he heard Xena, and they both froze on their places. The warrior saw a small, hairless creature with green skin and tight-fitting, glimmering clothes made of one piece. It must have been a very strange animal to produce such leather. She didn't know what to think of him, but her confusion didn't last long.
The creature reached out for some device on the shelf. Xena raised her chakram and let it fly. The weapon bounced off the wall just inches before the creature's nose (one of them; he seemed to have two), and returned to her soon after. The creature quickly pulled its arm (or whatever) back, and froze, looking at her with an expression impossible to interpret by any human.
"Go on. Make my day," Xena said with an impish smile, holding the chakram in ready position if the creature was to try anything.
"Make my day?" Gabrielle yelped. "Make my day?!! Oh, come on!"
"Well, I'm expected to go for a one-liner every now and then, am I not?" Xena responded.
"Yeah, but 'make my day?' Sheesh, that's SO lame. Must be the oldest one-liner, like, EVER. You gotta learn to be more original."
"Okay, Gabrielle. Maybe for the next time we go battle, you'll have a whole scroll of one-liners written ready for me. You're the bard, you do it. Besides, I don't believe that being has heard 'make my day' before, so I think you're over-reacting."
The creature probably concluded that his chance had come, and made a move for the device again. Xena reacted quickly, flipping to his side. She got a hold of his hand (or limb, whatever) holding the device before he was able to point it at her, and pinned him against the wall.
The small creature was utterly helpless on her hold. He started make strange gestures and moves, glancing at the device repeatedly. "Xena, I think he's trying to tell us something," Gabrielle suggested.
"I'm aware of that," said Xena. The creature was very still, and Xena looked at his eyes. Then, slowly, she released her hold on him. The being was quick to learn, and thus slow in his movements. He placed the ringular device over his head, then slowly reached for the shelf to take another.
"Watch it, Xena. It may be a trick."
Xena gave her friend a look telling her she knew the danger. Suspiciously she followed the being's gesturing and placed the peculiar ring on her head.
"Welcome to the Ship," said the being, using the same language as Xena. "My name is Ksi." And he made a move that could be interpreted as a bow, or a curtsey, or anything else at all.
"What...? How...?" Xena stuttered.
"This device is called a 'tongue'o'matic'. It's totally harmless. As long as we both wear it, we can understand each other's speech. Don't ask me to explain how it works. Now, please, could I speak with the Entity?" Ksi took the third device, and handed it to Xena.
"Who?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I mean Xena. Let me speak with Xena."
Xena covered her confusion and took her tongue'o'matic off. She cleared her thoughts and turned to Gabrielle. "Listen. This is a machine that allows us to communicate when you put it on. This freak is named Ksi, and he thinks you are me, and I think it's a good idea to let him continue to believe that. So, from now on, you are called Xena, a warrior, and I'm Gabrielle -- hmm, let's say I'm your bodyguard."
Gabrielle nodded though she didn't understand everything, and they put the headsets on.
"Very well," said the creature, "As you can see, in here it takes three to tongue'o'. Tongue'o' -- tango -- get it? Tee hee." He barked with laughter of a kind, but the Earthlings shared a look. As they seemed not to know how to tango, he collected himself and regained his straight face.
"Now, I -- Xena wishes to know, what this place is," said the warrior woman wryly.
"You are on the space ship Omnivorous Cow. It's the biggest, fastest and most powerful ship in the Galaxy."
"What's a space ship?" asked Xena.
"What's a Galaxy?" asked Gabrielle.
"A space ship is ... a ship that ... swims in space, within stars, and the Galaxy is, er, a very big place. Uhm, anyway, we come from another planet..."
"What's a planet?"
"...and we'll leave very soon, if you don't mind."
"What are you going to do with those women?" Xena questioned.
"What's a woman? Oh, you mean a female entity. Nothing, they're just souvenirs. We collect all kinds of alien life forms across the..."
"Was I just another souvenir to you?" the bard interrupted.
"No. Yes! No! I mean, you're The Entity. You see, we have this little civil war going on in another time line. Nothing serious, just a few stars blown away so far... We were hoping to get you to fight with us in this war"
"You battles couldn't interest us less," Xena interrupted.
"That's what I was afraid of," said Ksi, and sighed. They all were silent for a while.
"What's that thing in my neck?" asked the bard at last.
"A highly sophisticated tracking device. We call it a Red, Blinking Thing That Goes 'Beep'. The name was my idea," said Ksi proudly. The women shared a look, again.
"I would very much like you to take it out," said Gabrielle.
"But it's a difficult and time consuming operation," Ksi groaned. "With all the trouble we went to for this, and you want us to undo everything. No, I say. I refuse."
"Then the entity will rip this vessel apart, and you will be the first to fly out of that door to the big galaxy, or what ever you called it," Xena threatened.
"Ugh, then I'd better do what she wants."
"You got that right. She also wants all those other entities you took. And that you leave and never bother us again."
"Oh well. The project seems to have failed anyway, so it may as well be a total disaster. I will do all that you want. I'll ask the ship doctor remove the Red Blinking Thing That Goes 'Beep'. I'll ask security, IF they ever get out of those air conductors (sigh), to release the specimens. And if I've come to know the High Commander, he'll be glad to stay far from this planet for good. This does bad for his economy."
So, under Xena's keen eye the kidnapped women were taken out of their prisons and dropped down to earth surface. Then the little green men took Gabrielle into another room with even more peculiar instruments, but Xena was not allowed to get in. After strong objections, she agreed to stay out, threatening to kill everybody if they tried anything funny.
The operation took a long time, and the warrior was getting restless. Ksi had his hands full convincing her that it was all right. But after all, the closed doors opened and Gabrielle walked out on her own feet, a little drowsy but in good condition.
"...and it was terrible. The second entity came at me so quickly I've never seen anything to move so fast. It flung the Round Thing That Penetrates The Doors, but missed me when I ducked, and then we were engaged in a physical combat. I fought fiercely, but it was too strong."
"Were you scared, Ksi?"
"Yes, Sir, more than ever. I thought it was to kill me in that instant, but then the first entity, Our Entity, came and restrained the one holding me. It happened so easily that the second entity must have feared the first entity very much. Our Entity must be far more powerful that the second entity, as there was never the slightest doubt of which one was in charge."
"But in the end you outwitted them, as was expected."
"Yes. I got the Master Embryo."
"Excellent, Ksi, excellent. Couldn't have done it better myself. For this you'll be awarded with a Mark of the Pink Ribbon as soon as I've taken the throne of the Imperial Leader. Now we can start replicating the Embryo to make an army of... what was the name again?"
"The name?"
"The name I had for these clone warriors?"
"Xenathoids?"
"Ah, yes. That was it. Xenathoids. First, I'll take the Empire. Then the Galaxy. And then... the rest. Bwaha-ha-haa!"
"Tee hee hee!"
"MUA HA HA HA HAAAA!"
And the ship corridors reverberated with the High Commander's laughter, long after the Earthlings had left.
The little village far away from the cruel world celebrated their hero and the rescued villagers. The farmer got his wife back (but he still missed the pig), the weaver was overjoyed to see her daughter, and all the rest of the missing women were back as well. Even the smith's wife was found among the other's in the foreign ship, which made him so happy that he stopped making horse shoes. Even more happy did he become, when he learned that she was alive! How that was possible remained a mystery.
All in all, the air was joyful and relieved. The feast lasted long into night, and Xena and Gabrielle were among the ones staying up into the late hours. They sat by the diminishing bonfire, discussing their latest adventure.
"Gabrielle, just of curiosity," Xena asked, watching Quenton and Alia cuddling on the other side of the square. "If it had been you instead of Quenton, what would you have done? I mean, what if they had taken me, and asked you to do something that goes against your principles, in order to rescue me."
"Hmm. Can't go against my principles. I guess I'd just be forced to look for another hero who needs a new sidekick," Gabrielle answered with serious face.
"Really?"
"Really!"
"Oh come on! You're lying."
"Xena, have I ever lied to you?"
"Well, maybe I should remind you of the time you told me Hercules was fighting Iolaus on the other side of the town, and that he was losing!"
"That doesn't count. It was April fools."
"It was in May!"
"Okay, okay. But you didn't fall for it, anyway."
"Can't admit you just wanted to get rid of me for a while to get together with that handsome young warlord, huh?"
"I didn't know he was a warlord. And I didn't know you knew I was attracted to him."
A silence fell between them, and they just stared at each other, wearing expectant smirks. "Well?" said Xena at last.
"Yeah, I'm lying," Gabrielle answered, and couldn't help a chortle which quickly changed into frantic giggles as Xena attacked her with ten, deadly fast fingers running up and down her waist.
The High Commander looked helplessly through a one-way glass into the training room. Ksi standing beside his master looked equally helpless.
"They're developing really fast, aren't they?" asked the High Commander.
"Yes, sir," Ksi agreed. "Just like you planned."
They stood in silence, and watched.
"Ksi," asked the High commander at last, "What went wrong?"
"That I cannot explain," Ksi answered, shaking his head sadly.
And again they looked in disbelief at the training room, where two thousand invincible, strawberry blond Xenathoids had put down their weapons, and were sitting in circles, competing with each other in the matter of who could tell the most exciting story. And the worst thing was that all the watchers, including the guards and the couple behind the one-way glass, were unable to turn away from their charm.
The women lay back after supper, and watched the stars again. "So, Gabrielle, you never showed me your favorite star," Xena said.
"It's over there, that yellow and green one just over the horizon," her friend replied.
"Hmm. I like it. It's so -- bright. What's its name?"
"Aphrodite."
"Figures," said Xena and smirked. "Where's Ares?"
"Gone. But if I'm right, he'll be back in about four months. He always does, sooner or later. So much like the god of war he's named after; comes and goes, in and out of your life after his own will."
"Yeah. Hey, I didn't know you had this interest in astronomy."
"A friend taught me about stars and everything when I was at the Academy in Athens. His name was Archimedes. A funny lad. He had some incredible ideas about water in bathtubs."
"Look, a falling star again," Xena pointed.
"I hope it's a real one this time."
"I don't see it making any curves. You can complete your wish now."
"Only if you wish something, too."
"Fine, I'll wish something."
They closed their eyes, crossed their fingers, and made a wish. The star fell down, just like a usual shooting star.
"What did you wish for?" Xena asked.
"That we'd be friends forever. You? What's your wish?"
"Sorry, I couldn't think of anything. I have everything I'll ever need right here with me," said Xena, and pulled her friend tighter by her side.
Xena still didn't discover gravity, even though it was close. Give her some time.
DISCLAIMER:
Xena, Gabrielle and the other characters from the television series Xena:
Warrior Princess are property of MCA/Universal and Renaissance Pictures. No
copyright infringement was intended in the writing of this fan fiction. All
other characters, the story idea and the story itself are the sole property
of the author. This story cannot be sold or used for profit in any way.
Copies of this story may be made for private use only and must include all
disclaimers and copyright notices.
All works remain the copyright of the original author. These may not
be republished without the author's consent.
May 11, 2000, Man of Void (mov@iki.fi)