Things are coming to a head. We're almost there. If you haven't played the games, have you figured out what Sirrus is planning? This chapter will explain it pretty well. It will be another short one. But the next chapter will be longer.
Not relishing the idea of trekking back through the jungle, swamp and grassland, Trace and Melody looked for the zipline Achenar had spoken of. They found it at the end of a path through the treetops that had been made from a cargo net tied to the trees with leaves coating the bottom.
The zipline was made from a rope and a chair that had been woven out of dried leaves attached to a hook and pulley from the wreck. Not trusting it to take them both at the same time, Melody climbed inside and Trace gave her a push. A mangree jumped in her lap as she took off.
The ride was better than any swing she had ever been on. It reminded her a little of the cable car in Tomhana in that it swung high above the ground. But unlike the cable car, she could not control the speed. She held on tightly to the chair and the mangree held on to her knees as the wind whipped through her hair. The zipline sailed through the trees and through a hole in the cliff walls over a rock canyon. Melody could smell the sea breeze as they headed for the shore.
The wreck came into view as the zipline went downward toward the sand. The mangree jumped off and moments later Melody realized why. The stop was so sudden it threw her out of the chair and face first into the sand.
She heard the mangree chattering as she got up, spitting sand and seashells out of her mouth.
"Shut up!" she shouted. "You could have warned me ya stupid monkey!"
The mangree made more noises that Melody took to mean it was laughing at her. Picking up a large shell, she threw it at the animal. It caught it easily and threw it back, nearly hitting Melody in the head.
"Oh so you want to play do you?" Melody asked dangerously and became so busy throwing things at the monkey that she didn't notice the chair retreating by means of the pulley.
Trace found her still fighting/playing with the mangree when he reached the bottom. His landing was a lot more graceful than hers. For several minutes he simply stood watching her and trying not to laugh.
She finally noticed he was standing there and dropped the coconut that she had been holding. She looked sheepish. "He started it," she insisted, pointing at the mangree who sat looking innocent.
"I'm sure he did." Trace said, "You can play with the monkey later."
"I was not playing with the monkey," Melody said with a surprising amount of dignity.
The zipline had brought them full circle back to the linking chamber. Melody took one last look at the wreck before linking back to Tomahna.
After checking Tomahna for either Atrus' return or more break-ins, Melody and Trace returned to Serenia.
"The journal he wanted me to read has to be here," Melody said. "He said it was hidden where two rivers cross. It must be in there somewhere," she pointed to the maze of stone pillars and pathways.
"Wonderful," Trace said sarcastically.
"We should split up to save time," Melody said. "You take the right path and I'll…" she paused at the look on his face, and gulped. "Never mind."
She managed to resist going after the bubble-blowing rock and the puff tree. Progress was slow as they searched every rock pillar they came across. Any opinion Melody voiced about splitting up to cover more ground was met with the same dark look.
"I'm not made of glass you know," she grumbled under her breath and received a look over the shoulder. "What?" she asked innocently.
He rolled his eyes and continued looking.
It was Melody who finally ended up finding the book hidden inside a crevice of one of the pillars not far from the puff tree. It was written in the same gruff style as the first journal in Haven had been, which meant she had to remind herself that this was old psycho-killer Achenar and not new and improved teddy-bear Achenar.
Been a while since I had this much fun working with my sick little brother. Usually we're at each other's throats by now.
Must be the thrill we both get, picturing Father strapped to the chair, begging us not to do what he knows we're going to. Don't think anything I've done to a prisoner yet will compare with that moment.
Have to build the chair first though, which means getting inside Serenia's Memory Chamber. Can't exactly ask for the front door key even if Sirrus did tell the Protectors we want to study their rituals. He'd just better get back from Mechanical Age with those breathing kits soon. Otherwise the whole plan is going nowhere.
What a hideously exhausting day. Spent so many hours working underwater I think my skin's turned permanently blue. But at least we're finally inside.
Never seen little brother get this keyed up before. But like I told him last night, getting the chair up and running is gonna take time.
In theory, all it has to do is stimulate the old fungus into doing what it wants to do naturally : remove a person's memories. But in order for our entire plan to work we have to keep Father's body alive. I'm not even sure the fungus will be able to remove memories from a living body. No matter how much 'persuasion' it gets.
Melody stared at the page in shock. "Is this saying… what I think it… is?"
Trace looked just as shocked as she was. When he did speak, the language he used had her blushing the roots of her hair. "I didn't know your vocabulary was so colorful Trace."
He glanced at her and spoke several words in Rivenese.
"I speak that language too," she said, also in Rivenese.
He looked back at the journal. "What they were planning was worse than death for their Father. They were going to turn Atrus into a vegetable. I think I have the right to colorful language."
Melody nodded. "Agreed. Just imagine all the fun ways to torture Sirrus once we find him. That makes me feel better."
Trace snorted. "When I'm through with him, he will beg for death. Then I will hand him over to you."
"See? There's a happy thought," she said, then became serious. "Trace? This chair Achenar is talking about. You don't think it's the same one I saw Yeesha strapped to… do you?"
Trace ground his teeth, but said nothing.
Melody decided she didn't really want the answer. She already knew. With a sense of dread, she kept reading.
Decided to let Sirrus work on getting the chair operational while I start installing the life tanks. Still think this aspect of the plan is iffy but then I don't intend to be the one who tests them.
Sirrus began his tests today. Almost felt sorry for the mouse.
Okay, okay already! Just how many of these tests does he want to complete before we actually DO something?! Doesn't he realize that the longer we wait the more likely it is some Protector will catch on that something's wrong? One whole part of what we're doing takes place inside their Dream World. They're going to see it eventually!
Let's stop wasting time here and instead concentrate on setting up the bait we need to lure Father into his cell. Let's send Mother to Riven already!
Melody gripped the pages angrily. So the brothers were responsible for Catherine getting captured by Gehn! Did they know that was going to happen? Had they put their own mother in that kind of danger knowingly?!
Getting real nervous now. The only thing that keeps me from panicking completely is this – I know Serenia's weakness. The sun stone. They'll be lost without their sun stone.
Sure it'll take a few days, but if I steal it out of the Root Chamber, the fungus will eventually lose its ability to remove memories. And if that happens, Serenia's civilization will be thrown into total chaos.
Might be fun to see it happen.
But it also means our plan against Father will be ruined. So I'll do it, but only if it becomes necessary to cut and run.
Horrible fight with Sirrus today. All I did was mention taking the stone and he was all over me. Accused me of letting my 'insatiable desire for instant gratification' screw up yet another one of his plans. Then he tried to lay the whole Narayan civil war debacle on ME. Almost belted him right then and there.
But the fight did show me one thing – my little brother really is a back-stabbing weasel. These tests he keeps doing… There's only one conclusion they're leading to.
Sorry little brother. There's absolutely NO WAY I'm gonna sit in that chair for you.
Melody put the journal back where she'd found it. "So they were planning to take Atrus' memories by force. Killing him wasn't their goal. If it was, there are a lot easier ways. The only thing I can think of is that they must have thought they could use Atrus' memories in order to learn the Art quickly. Would that have worked?"
Trace looked thoughtful. "It would be possible," he finally admitted. "It's also a rather ingenious plan," he added begrudgingly.
"But what is Sirrus planning to do with Yeesha?" Melody wondered. "She only just started learning the Art and what she did know she was teaching Sirrus."
"From what Achenar wrote, I'm afraid that is not what Sirrus plans."
Melody stared at him for a moment and he watched as the realization slowly dawned. "He needed a human test subject," she breathed in horror. "No… he can't be…"
"He's using Yeesha as a human test subject for his machine," Trace said gravely. "Before he uses it on Atrus."
"Who will come here looking for Yeesha," Melody finished. The image of Yeesha struggling and crying in that chair filled her with a new level of terror. "We have to find her Trace," she said, her voice quivering. "We have to find her now!"
Not exactly Sirrus' plan but pretty close. I doubt Melody and Trace would ever even consider Sirrus' real plan as it is a level of evil I can't believe anyone would stoop to. But then Sirrus is that psycho we all love to hate.
Thank you for reading.