As it turns out, after you finish writing a chapter, you actually have to post the thing! I am a technological simpleton.
Apologies for my delay in updating, I shall endeavour to do better in the near future.
It had been two weeks, and Helena was no closer to working out what the notes meant.
Lying them out, her brow furrowed, each had a tiny number affixed in the corner. Tilting her head, she sat cross legged on Myka's bed, reading each and putting them into order.
"Come on Helena, what are you not seeing?"
Her hand drifted to her neck, and she began playing with her locket. Worrying her bottom lip, she winced as the action was a habit picked up from the very woman occupying her thoughts. Setting them aside a moment she lay back onto the pillows. Staring up at the ceiling, she fumbled with the catch of her locket a moment, it seemed to be slightly stuck. Frowning, she raised it before her eyes and applied more careful force; until it finally opened with a pop. Something bright fell out and fell between the folds in the quilt. Pausing a moment, she noticed that there was another post-it folded inside. It read;
The answer is; you don't.
Her heart was in her throat, scrabbling at the quilts, she froze when her eyes met the golden dual heads. The air whistled out of her lungs, as even more confusion began to set in, "The Janus coin?"
She wasn't exactly sure how long she had been staring at her former prison. But Helena could still feel the tremors coursing through her, at the same time she was becoming hyper aware of every sensory experience. As if her system was trying to reassure her that she was in fact corporeal; she wasn't a hologram. Snapping out of her moment, she reached for the purple gloves in Myka's bedside drawer. Finding they weren't there, she frowned. She knew the younger agent had always kept a pair close. Getting up, careful to avoid touching the coin, she opened the cabinet beneath the drawer. There were the gloves; resting on top of another familiar device. Slipping on the gloves, she picked up the black sphere. Rolling it over in her hands, her eyes passed between the coin and the orb.
With a sigh, she reached for the twin heads, "I must be mad."
She had seen the agents operating the orb, while she was its resident, copying their movements in reverse she activated it; holding her breath for what was to come.
Suddenly, she was in the light; it was her room. Worrying her lip, confused at the lack of sensation, she asked hesitantly, "Helena?"
Turning, she saw the Victorian leaning against her bedside cabinet. Her face was drained of all colour, and her mouth hung open.
With a sigh of relief, Myka smiled, "You worked it out! I knew you would! I just..." She broke off.
Helena was shaking, tears were pouring from her eyes, "M.. Myka?"
Nodding, she spoke carefully, "It's me Helena."
Gritting her teeth, Helena almost wished nothing had happened, "But you died... I... I attended your funeral."
Wincing, Myka's voice was barely a whisper, "I know... I did die... Am dead; or at least my body is." Running a hand through her holographic hair, Myka could see the other woman's heart breaking in front of her. Stepping forward, she tried to touch her; only for her hand to glide through the other woman.
She heard the whimper, before she had realised she had released it. There it was; their relationship in a nutshell. Close; but never able to make contact. Shaking her head, Helena felt as if the walls were closing in around her. She knew the world was cruel, it had already taken everyone she loved. But this? In a way this was worse, Myka being there; but at the same time not. She had been in the coin, she knew the feeling of being wholly disjointed and unearthed. To be without the familiar, comfort of your own skin. Being unable to feel the wind, sun, or rain. It was torture of the worst kind; and now Myka was suffering it. She just couldn't take it. Suddenly she was moving, stumbling at first, she ran out of the room and back into the main body of the warehouse.
Myka tried to follow her, "Helena!"
But as she paused after about twenty metres, her leg had vanished, moving back, it returned. Reaching out, she watched as her hand flickered then disappeared, "Shit."
Making her way back into her room, she rubbed her eyes heavily. She should have just left a letter explaining her plan... Hell, she should have told Helena she was dying. If only she could contact Dr Calder. Sighing, she ran over the memories in her head.
The prognosis was grim. There was no two ways about it; she was dying.
Dr Calder knocked on her door, "Myka, the physician at the hospital called me... I've been placed in charge of your care."
Nodding, the brunette agent, looked up to the kind-eyed doctor, "Doc... I haven't told the others; and I'm not going to."
"Myka..."
Shaking her head, she took a deep breath, "They just lost Leena, they don't need this hanging over them." Running a hand through her hair, she sighed, "I've informed Mrs Frederic. I've got a meeting with her tomorrow, while the others are at the Warehouse."
Vanessa nodded, "I've been given clearance to try and find an alternative solution."
"Artefacts?"
The Doctor nodded, "You are a valuable member of this team Myka; the Regents do not want to lose you."
For a moment anger rose within her, and she found herself growling, "They care when it suits their interest." Shaking her head, she apologised, "Sorry, I'm not myself at the minute."
"Agent Bering."
Myka jumped in her seat, as the Sage appeared next to her, "Mrs Frederic. How are you?"
Taking the seat beside her, she replied, "I am well, but that is not what we are here to discuss."
Nodding, she seemed suddenly lost for words.
"Dr Calder is pouring through the Warehouse database." "She said the regents had allowed her to look for an artefact to solve this."
Standing, she placed a briefcase on the table, "I understand this is a trying time for you; is there no one you want to contact."
Myka looked away a moment, no one who is here, "No Mrs Frederic. I'd rather keep this to myself as long as I can."
Inclining her head, the Caretaker smiled softly, "I understand. Do not hesitate to contact me if you need anything, Agent Bering."
"Thank you..." When Myka looked up, she was gone; but the brief case remained.
Curious, she ran her fingers over the black leather, trying the catch, she was almost surprised when they popped with a click. Opening the case, she paused with a frown. Inside was a static bag; and Helena's orb.
Her first thought had been terror; had they imprisoned her again? No. There was a note; If the we run out of time, there are other options. Dr Calder will explain.
"Other options?"
Helena only stopped running when she reached a wall. Barely slowing, she let herself hit the concrete. Hard wrenching sobs violently wracked her frame as she pressed her forehead, hard, against the cool wall.
"Agent Wells."
Jumping in fright, Helena hurriedly wiped her eyes before turning, "Mrs Frederic." She had tried to keep the tremor out of her voice, but failed in the attempt, "How can I help you?"
The caretaker's eyes softened, "You found Myka."
With a steadying breath, she nodded, "Yes."
"We had hoped that we would be able to cure her before it came to this."
Her fists began to tighten, as a surge of anger coursed through her like a flood, "I could have helped! I could have saved her!" The inventor's chest was heaving, and her heart was hammering. The anger had come so suddenly, adrenaline was making her hands shake, her voice dropped to a near whisper, "Why did you not tell me? Why was it left to Pete to remember me only after she had died?"
Shifting her stance, Mrs Frederic seemed to be backing off, "Agent Bering asked us to treat her condition with the upmost privacy. She was afraid of being a burden to you all..." Pausing, she took in Helena's dishevelled appearance and sighed, "Helena, please get some rest; you look exhausted."
Rubbing her eyes, the inventor growled, "Do I? Do I really? How could that be I wonder?" Turning on her heel, she stalked away from the sage.
"Speak to her Helena. Let her explain; she didn't mean to hurt you."
Sighing, she nodded, the fight gone from her tone; "I know she didn't."
As the door opened, Myka turned to see Helena stepping gingerly inside. Immediately she began to apologise.
Holding up a hand, the Victorian shook her head, "Stop, just... don't apologise Myka; please." Walking over to the bed, she sat down, "I'm so tired."
Moving closer, the younger agent nodded, "I understand, do you want me to go?"
Carefully, Helena picked up the orb from where, in her fright, she had dropped it. Placing it on the bedside table, she shook her head, "No... I don't, I can't..." She winced, "Myka, I know you can't touch me or sleep with that thing, but..." Her voice was so weak, Myka's heart ached to see the other woman so small and vulnerable, "Please stay with me... Don't leave me."
Crouching beside the bed, Myka nodded, "I'm not going anywhere."
With a relieved sigh, Helena stretched out onto the bed, "Thank you." She had wanted to stay awake. So just spend the night, even if it was in silence, with Myka. But as her heavy eyelids closed, she looked to the younger woman crouched beside her and whispered, "I love you." Before slipping into a dreamless sleep.
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