Chapter 4
Red…Red…Red…Something red was flashing. There was a feeling…claws…Something was crawling and a sound…There was a sound; a loud sound. Ellipsis slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes were greeted by a red flashing light coming from outside her white prison. The door was wide open. Then she felt something on her back. She jerked around and a black creature leaped off her and hissed. It was small and had large yellow eyes and sprouted horns on its head. It crawled on all fours as it raced up the wall and into the vents.
"Oh crap…" Ellipsis said as she got out of bed. She could hear the creatures murmuring to each other. There appeared to me more of them inside the vents as Ellipsis spotted several sets of yellow eyes staring down at her. Ellipsis quickly looked around. There didn't appear to be any in the room and the door was wide open. As she exited her room the floor felt cold. The lights all seemed to have gone out except for the emergency lights that gave the hallways a low dim look. The only other source of light appeared to be the red light that kept on flashing.
Ellipsis slowly made her way down the hallway and came across an elevator. The doors looked slanted and broken. Through the tiny space it provided Ellipsis could see sparks. Ellipsis looked around and discovered a half-eaten corpus. Its face was mauled off and there were tiny teeth marks all over the body. Clutched in its hands was a red fire axe. Ellipsis took it without hesitation and began to chip away at the elevator doors. As the doors fell apart Ellipsis peered into the shaft and saw only darkness. There was a feeling of dread the loamed over her. She noticed that she was at the very bottom and the only way out was up. There was a ladder to her right and a dangling electric cable that danced in front of her, spewing sparks often. Harnessing the fare axe over her shoulders she began to climb up and into the darkness.
Guided by the occasional red flash that peered through the cracks of the elevator doors, Ellipsis made her way up. Then for a moment, the flashing lights seemed to have ceased. All she could see was total darkness. Then it hit her. It was the elevator. Ellipsis hurried up the ladder and climbed onto the elevator. With her hands shaking and sweat running down her spine she rested for a bit. This was the first time since she woke up that she was able to rest and assess the situation. The things that were crawling on her were marmalits. And somehow they're here in the Photonic Sphere. Ellipsis didn't think much of it, she didn't have to. She knew right away what could have caused all of this. There was no other way. It had to be the Black Mirror. And now, it seems like the gateway is open and everything is gonna be pouring in. And soon all hell will break out. A cold shiver ran down her spine. She took a deep breath and prepared herself. She reached for the hatch in top of the elevator and opened it. Already the smell of death and blood filled her nose.
Four dead bodies greeted Ellipsis as she dropped down into the elevator. They looked like they were ripped apart. Blood stained the floor and the walls. A single arm sat alone in the middle of the floor. The chests were ripped open. Their faces were torn with very little skin left on them. Their clothes were drenched in blood. Ellipsis could feel her heart sink. She wanted to scream but didn't. Not even Nyssia left a scene like this. Her process was more planned and laid out; this was just savage and brutal. Though there were time when Nyssia did rip people apart and this shouldn't be that much of a shock to Ellipsis but with Nyssia you knew something about her or knew that she wouldn't hurt you. This was from an unknown source. It was the unknown that scared Ellipsis the most. She started to search for anything she could use from the bodies. This was also the first time she took a good look at a dead body and didn't feel hungry, instead she felt nauseated. This was both good and bad at the same time. Ellipsis fished out what she could before the tomato soup she had earlier could swim back up and say hello. The bodies were cold and lifeless.
What she managed to pull out of the four corpses was a security keycard and a pistol. The pistol looked old and worn out with corrosion and rust inside the barrel. There was only one bullet left in the chamber. As Ellipsis wedges the axe to pry the doors open she suddenly heard a groaning behind her. She paused for a moment, frozen by fear she stood still. Her mind was blank. She heard the sound behind her only get louder. Carefully she turned her head around and saw one of the bodies moving. It was trying to stand up but had a hard time grasping at the wall. It slumped over onto the ground and was now pushing itself up. Ellipsis had only a short amount of time. The axe was still imbedded into the doors. She had the pistol but only one bullet was left. It was too late. The corpus leaped up from the ground and sprang at her. It let out a hollering scream as Ellipsis twirled around and caught the creature in the nick of time. Its eye lit up and stared back at her. It pushed Ellipsis up against the wall and moved her into one of the corners. It was flailing its arms as it tried to bite and scratch her.
Ellipsis was struggling to keep the creature off her. She had no other alternative. With a single push she thrusted the creature back and in the instant she pulled out the pistol and took the shot. The bullet went straight through the creature's head and slumped down to the floor. A pool of black blood was now dripping.
"Zombies….why did it have to be zombies?" Ellipsis said as she took a moment to breath. She glared at her empty pistol and tossed it to the side. The clanking sound echoed around her. She didn't care. The gunshot would be difficult not to hear. She did a quick check on herself to see if she was injured and other than being covered in blood she was fine. The axe was still stuck in between the doors and she was free to return to her work. She paused for a moment. She suddenly remembered Io and Jane and hoped they were alright. Io she knew would be alright, she seen Io take on a werewolf; a handful of zombies won't stop her, unless there are other things running around here. But Jane though. Jane, as far as she knew, wasn't skilled at combat or anything like that. She was smart though, so if she were still alive she would have thought of something. Worry gripped Ellipsis as she wrapped her hands around the axe and began to open the doors.
The doors were jammed so they were a tad hard to open but as soon as Ellipsis could see the other side of the doors, the light was soon blocked by a dark figure. Ellipsis reeled back and released the axe. The doors closed shut.
Something on the other side was pressing up against the door. The sound of metal bending vibrated all around Ellipsis. Suddenly the doors started to wobble. Then what looked like a tiny piece of metal protruded out between the doors. They stuck out even further and soon folded over on one of the doors. The doors wobbled again and were soon pushed open. The figure stood before Ellipsis holding the doors open. It was Io and she looked like a mess. Her uniform was torn to bits revealing her metal arm and her chest. She had a cut on her right cheek. She was missing both her boots and there were bandages wrapped around her bare knuckle. Ellipsis stood in the elevator, shocked and silent.
"Just the little bird I wanted to see." Io said with a grin as she reached in and pulled Ellipsis out. Io slammed Ellipsis against the wall.
"Alright, spill it. Who are you? Did you know this was going to happen?" Io said with such ferocity in her eyes. Ellipsis had the wind knocked out of her as she was slammed against the wall. Getting her breathe back took a few seconds. Io remained her firm grip around Ellipsis collar. Seeing Io look like this brought a smile to Ellipsis face. The uniform was certainly not the Io she knew; this was more of her style. Ellipsis started by taking a deep breath.
"My name is Ellipsis Tannin I am five thousand years old. I use to be a vampire but went back in time and prevented my first death from happening using the Black Mirror that you guys somehow found. In the first timeline you and I were friends along with Jane Parker and others. We traveled for a short while in a bus that could move through space and time; driven by potentially my crazy great ,great, great ,great, great granddaughter. You were a pit fighter and we met in jail. You like cheese and beer. You prefer to fight things with your fist and hate guns. And now it seems like someone above really fucked things up and opened the gates to the Umbral Sphere." Ellipsis said. Io stood in silence. She was slowly processing everything that was just said. Most of what Ellipsis said about her was true and it was unsettling. Io let go of Ellipsis collar, while still processing.
"So what am I like? The 'me' you know." Io said inquisitively. Ellipsis adjusted her stance as she was brought down and dusted herself off a bit.
"Well…you kind of look like you do now. You also ripped a pipe out of a wall when you were chained to it and you single handedly fought a werewolf. You also go shot in the shoulder but still kept fighting until you passed out. You also ripped open a metal door to a reactor filled with radiation just to get my unconscious body out." Ellipsis said. Io was stunned and a smug look of pride streaked across her face and lit up her eyes.
"Ah, hell yeah I'm awesome!" Io shouted. She had that familiar aura of confidence. There was no doubt in Ellipsis's mind that this was Io. Their moment of silence was cut off short when all of a sudden they heard gunshots going off in the distance. Both Io and Ellipsis headed towards the sound only to be confronted with a hallway full of rotting bodies; at the end of the hallway stood two figures. The figure on the left stood still and silent. The smell of gunpowder filled the area. The figure on the right was crouching, peering over a dead body on the floor. Then Io and Ellipsis heard them speck.
"Nothing on this one, oh well let's keep looking." The figure on the right said as he stood up. In his hands he held a shorten shotgun and was in the processes of reloading it with shells from his pocket. Ellipsis stepped out from behind the corner. She knew immediately who that was. As Ellipsis revealed herself to the two figures they both turned towards her.
"I'm not surprised in the slightest that you're still alive." Ellipsis said with a grin. The figure on the right stepped forward from the shadows. It was Ridley and he cracked a smile on his face as soon as he saw Ellipsis while Xeth stood silently in the background, silent as ever. Ridley was wearing his normal clothes that Ellipsis saw him wear in the Umbral Sphere. He somehow got them back.
"Hey Tannin, you're still alive too. Excellent, here take this. It's better than that stupid axe." Ridley said as he handed her the shotgun he held in his hands. Ridley reached into his cloak and pulled out two pistols. Ellipsis stood in silence. She was not surprised by this display. Io on the other hand stood behind the corner gawking at the scene. It wasn't long before Ridley noticed and took aim at Io's head and fired off a shot. The bullet came close to hitting Io but instead impacted the corner of the wall near her face. Io jumped back in fright.
"Whoa, easy there gunslinger, She's with me." Ellipsis said as she raised her hand in front of Ridley who was still grinning at this point. Ridley placed his pistols back in their holsters. Io slowly made her way around the corner.
"So Tannin you're with iron fist here eh? Alright, I'll accept that. We need all the help we can get if we are going to get out of here." Ridley said with a smug look on his face.
"No one is going anywhere." Io said in an authoritative tone. Ridley looked at Io with a slightly impressive look on his face. He was curious enough to know what she intended by that. Part of him cared a bit but the other part couldn't care less what she had to say. He was still going to do what he had intended to do from the very beginning whether she is going to help or not.
"Alright slugo, I'll bite; why not?" Ridley said with a disappointed look written on his face. He knew what she was going to say would be something stupid and mundane. Probably something like protocol or being moral, words that Ridley never really cared much for. Ellipsis on the other side knew what was coming next. She had seen this before with Ridley and Io. It wouldn't be long now before one of them started to throw punches at each other. Though this is a different universe they are still very many things that are the same. Ellipsis took a few steps back and looked at Io, waiting for a response. Io looked pretty calm but if anyone knew anything about Io, it was that she was never really the calm type regardless of what universe you were in. There was something itching at the back of her head. She was locked in a confrontation of some kind. She knew she had a job to perform and to carry it out but there was something also that was bothering her; something else that took up priority. But the real question was, was she going to let that get the best of her?
"The entire space ship is on lockdown. All sections are sealed off from one another to prevent the spread of infection. No one is going anywhere." Io said. Ridley looked at her and rolled his eyes.
"Good for you. You locked down the whole area. Like I care, I'm still getting out of here." Ridley said as he turned around and started to walk. Io glared at Ridley and rushed at him. Ellipsis saw it happen in a flash. Io grabbed Ridley's shoulder and threw him against the wall. He let out a groan as he was smashed up against the wall. Io shoved her metal arm under his chin and held him up against the wall.
"I said no is going to leave." Io said with fire in her eyes. She was getting frustrated. Ellipsis was left in shock and awe. Ridley somehow still had that grin on his face. Xeth just stood there in the background. For him things were getting interesting.
"I will not be held responsible if the containment is breached and others suffer." Io said as she pressed harder against Ridley's throat. Ridley let out a choking gasping sound as he tried to take a breath.
"Io cut it out!" Ellipsis called out to Io. There was a hint of worry in Ellipsis's voice. Io eased up on Ridley and turned towards Ellipsis.
"You don't get it. We don't know if this thing has spread all throughout the ship or not. The only safe way to ensure the survival of others is total lockdown. No one leaves, ever." Io said inflexibly. Ridley gave a small laugh.
"Great idea iron fist. Seal us up like sardines and watch us slowly die. God I hate selfless martyrs." Ridley said as he leaned against the wall wearing a grin. Io glared at Ridley, she looked like she was ready to knock his teeth out.
"Whoa, easy there Io. Just take a moment and let's think this over." Ellipsis said as she stepped in front of Io. The look of fiery in Io's eyes dimmed as Ellipsis stepped into view.
"She's not being a martyr; she's concerned about her wife." Xeth said in the background. Everyone turned to Xeth in surprise. Then they looked back at Io who at this point lost all signs of frustration and had it replaced with embarrassment. A veil of silence suddenly covered the area. Her face was flushed like a red rose. Io looked away with shame and disgrace on her face. The line had started to fade and crack.
"It speaks, oh speak again great angel." Ridley said in a thespian tone as he waved his hand in the air.
"Io…?" Ellipsis said inquisitively. Io kept silent for a moment. It seemed she was lost in her own world. Io then reached into her pocket and pulled out a plastic card and tossed it towards Ridley. It was her security card. Ridley picked it up swiftly.
"Thanks iron fist." Ridley said as he turned around and started to head towards the metal doors at the end of the hallway. Xeth accompanied Ridley as he walked to the doors. Things here were pretty much over here and he was starting to get bored. Ellipsis was the only one left behind with Io. Io remained motionless and continued to stare at the wall. As soon as the doors closed it was once again silent.
"Io…?" Ellipsis said again. It was obvious that she was concerned about Io. Io did not move a muscle.
"You said you know Jane right? Tell me, what is she like, the Jane you know?" Io said with a sigh. Ellipsis blinked and stood in silence. Io looked deep in thought. She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall with her back still facing Ellipsis. The line had cracked and was starting to shatter.
"Well, I don't know too much about her. She told me a while back that she read a lot of books and studied to be a doctor. And on the trips we took she would always sit in front of the bus with a book or two. Every now and then she would glace at what the rest were doing and roll her eyes and continue to read…" Ellipsis said right before Io interrupted her with a laugh that only grew louder.
"Yeah that sounds like Janney. Always with her nose in the books, always watching and judging." Io said with a smile. She quickly fell into silence once again. Ellipsis gave a quiet but nervous laugh. She was slightly confused. Io was still standing there.
"So tell me, are Janney and I a thing? Like are we together? The ones you know." Io said nervously. There was a slight stutter in her voice. Ellipsis finally got the hint. There was a pause.
"Not that I am aware of. You seem to make sure everyone is okay and Jane pretty much keeps to herself." Ellipsis said confusedly. She was still unsure where Io was going with this. There was another brief pause of silence.
"I see…You know…uh, Ellipsis…We try to keep everything about us separate from our work. I…I'm not sure how to express what I am feeling right now…Jane would know. She always does." Io said nervously with a small chuckle. She was stuttering more now with her words. It appeared that she was about to cry but she was holding everything back. Ellipsis was stunned by the display. She had seen Io upset before but this was something new.
"I…I don't like to feel this way…I don't know what to do." Io said. Io had started to crouch down. Ellipsis knew right away what was going on in Io's head. She was worried about Jane and it was consuming her. Ellipsis walked slowly over to Io and rested her hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, come on now. If anything, Jane would figure out a way to avoid being hurt. Hell, she disguised herself as an elf and infiltrated an elven base. Zombies are nothing compared to that." Ellipsis said cheerfully. Her attempts at making Io feel better seemed to be working as Io turned her head slightly to see Ellipsis's hand. Io gave a slight nod in agreement. She still looked like there was a void in her eyes like she was somewhere else. Io then slowly stood up and looked at Ellipsis. Her face was still wrapped in guilt and sweat but still managed to crack a smile. The line was gone by this point. The two walked through the unlocked doors.