Salt and Stars
Chimera slipped out of the shadows and back through the swinging door to the kitchen. The restaurant was empty and the kitchen was busy cleaning up and preparing for the morning. The tabby went unnoticed as she slipped under the sinks and past the utensil stand. Her eyes went to the loading bay door and found it still open. Seeing no one in the vicinity, she bolted for the door, darting down the alley and hiding round a corner. She shifted back and grinned. With a laugh, she pushed of the wall and headed further into the alley. She thought back to the conversation she had overheard in the restaurant. Chimera couldn't help but think that the voice was familiar. If she was right, her friends had a device that had made their own voice sound similar. They had brought it with them after a trip back home and spent several days playing with it, under the guise of training. Chimera had taken great enjoyment out of trying to guess which one was the supposed creature, for it was meant to imitate a creature they fought. A parasitic creature who took human hosts and thought themselves to be gods, able to change their voices, so they could blend in among Humans when needed.
'What were they called? Gold? Guld? No, Goa'uld. That was it, but I thought they had all been destroyed.'
Chimera was distracted from her thoughts, when her stomach growled again. Sighing, she pulled out her earpiece from her pocket. Slipping it into her ear as she activated it.
"This is Chimera to the Dark Star, do you copy?"
The voice of her trusted Second in Command and friend, came over the speaker.
"This is the Dark Star. We hear you loud and clear Commander."
"Get a lock on my position and pick me up. I'm hungry."
She could practically hear the eye roll and grin as Tanya responded.
"Yes Commander."
Chimera deactivated her earpiece. As far as she knew, Goa'uld were enemies to Earth and this one seemed to be planning something under the Earthen Authorities radar. If she didn't want the Authorities to know what was going on, then it couldn't be good and the quartz made more sense now. Goa'uld technology, among other races, relied heavily on crystals. Chimera had found Earth boring since arriving, but now, something had caught her attention. As beams of silver blue light formed spiraling around her, Chimera grinned broadly, fangs bared and eyes flashing.
'Looks like I found myself a hunt.'
With a deep hum and a flash of light, the alleyway was empty.
Chimera strolled onto the bridge of the Dark Star, gazing lazily at the moon that filled the view as she sat in the Command chair. Tanya was busy tapping at one of the console screens flanking the chair and didn't look up.
"Commander."
"Tanya. Anything interesting?"
The woman shrugged, her black ponytail swinging as she switched between screens. She tapped in a final command and leant back in her seat. Sparkling green eyes met gold and she grinned.
"Not really. Got a few of the crew to pick up. A couple in the Central Asian area means we have to come out of orbit to get them. They are currently on the other side of the planet. Oh and sounds like one of the engineers pissed of the local wildlife."
Chimera rolled her eyes.
"Don't tell me, it was Marco. How badly hurt is he?"
"Hah, indeed it is and he's not to badly hurt. He got out of the way in time, but I can see why he is dating one of the Medics. She patched him up."
Chimera shook her head with a smile. She activated the holographic command console in the arm of her chair, bringing up one of the screens in a blue light.
"How did my programmes do?"
"I wouldn't know. I only just got here. All I've done is check on the crew planetside."
Chimera hummed in response but said nothing as she leant forward, attention fixed on the display. She felt Tanya come round and lean against the Weapons Console where she had been working.
"Did you seriously hack into the Stargate Command Database?"
The Commander froze guilty, eyes flicking sideways to see Tanya without turning around. She spun round with an easy grin, fluttering her eyelashes innocently.
"Now, would I do that?"
Tanya crossed her arms, raised an eyebrow and huffed.
"Yes."
"Then why do you seem surprised?"
Chimera dropped the innocent pretense. Tanyas mouth curved into a slight smile and she shook her head.
"Now that I think about it, I'm really not. Won't they know you have hacked them?"
Chimera snorted, turning back to her console.
"With their technology? Even with the technology they have received from other races, their defence systems suck."
Tanya leant closer to see what Chimera was reading.
"What are you looking for?"
"Anything to do with the Goa'uld. I think I found one on Earth."
The Human glanced at Chimera in confusion, then rolled her eyes.
"Only you Commander."
Chimera looked surprised.
"What? What did I do?"
Tanya straightened, heading back to her place at the Weapons Console.
"Only you could come to Earth for a holiday and end up chasing one of their greatest enemies. Are you sure you met a Goa'uld? I thought you said they had won the war against them."
Chimera looked affronted.
"That's not fair. It's not as if I went out looking for a hunt. I got stuck in some restaurant and they happened to be sat nearby organising an underground deal. Anyway, I'm not a hundred percent certain, but I recognised some of the signs. That, is why I am hacking into Stargate Command. To be certain."
"You got stuck in a restaurant?"
Chimera blinked at Tanya a few times, trying to think how best to explain. In the end, she just shrugged.
"Long story."
Tanya nodded, her face a picture of resigned disbelief.
"Well, if I can distract you for a moment, it would be appreciated."
Chimera pulled her attention away from a case file detailing an encounter between a Goa'uld named Ba'al and SG1.
"What for?"
Tanya handed Chimera a small card.
"This is what most Humans on Earth use for money. We used your programme as instructed and hacked several accounts. We found ones that have large amounts in them and a lot of suspicious activity. It's amazing how many had links to Human trafficking, drugs etc. By the way, have you ever heard of someone called Rothschild?"
Chimera glanced up from where she was examining the small plastic card. She shook her head.
"No, can't say I have. Why?"
Tanya returned to her seat.
"They were our biggest hit. One of the largest accounts we found for hacking into. Think we pissed them off though. Security went up, but of course, your programme left no trace for them to follow."
Chimera shrugged.
"Do they have connections to illegal activities?"
Tanya nodded.
"Oh yeah. I was able to link them to anything and everything illegal, including government manipulation."
"Screw them then."
She stood up and stretched.
"Alright. Bring me up the map of Earth."
Tanya hit a few buttons and a three dimensional hologram formed in front of the Command Deck. The Earth revolved slowly and Chimera stepped closer.
"Show me the Earth city, San Francisco."
The hologram zoomed into a large landmass and Chimera recognised that they were being shown a section of coast just north to her last position in Los Angeles. The city sat around a large bay with a couple of bridges providing access across the narrower sections. Some distance from the coast lay a group of three Islands, just before the ocean floor dropped even deeper. Chimera nodded to herself.
"What time is it there?"
Tanya checked her console.
"Late. About ten at night."
"That's fine. I still have two more days before the drop. I think I fancy staying the night in San Francisco. Experience of Earth, you know. Drop me of somewhere in San Francisco, then go see to our wayward crew. Take your time. I assume it won't be long before the next shift go planetside?"
"Another hour Commander. Like I said, the majority are on the other side though."
Chimera grinned, waving a hand to dismiss the hologram. She stood in the centre of the deck, turning to face Tanya with her hands on her hips.
"Let me know when you return to orbit."
Tanya nodded and activated the Transport Beam.
"Oh, one more thing Commander. Remember 1994."
"What?"
All Chimera heard as the beam took her though, was Tanya shout 'Card', then she was stood in a dark alleyway. Chimera wrinkled her nose at the awful stench and glanced around in disgust. She headed for the lights on the street and as she emerged from the dark, she glanced at the card in her hand.
oh. Card. It must have a password. 1994. Got it.
With a shrug of her shoulders, she turned down the street and began looking for a hotel.
Chimera stretched in the morning sunlight that filtered through the window. She rolled over and gazed at the blue sky just visible. She was warm and comfy, had no crew to deal with and was in no rush to go anywhere. The Goa'uld wasn't due to receive her shipment till the following evening. So Chimera was happy to just doze and doze she did, till late in the day. Finally, it was hunger and boredom that drove her to emerge from her slumber. She emerged onto the streets of San Francisco and quickly decided that she liked this city, about as much as she liked Los Angeles. Which was to say, not at all. As she explored the little shops in the side streets, she passed through a small farmer's market. The street was so crowded with people, no one noticed her when she slipped a box of strawberries from one table and a small pot of cream from another.
Just act confident and like your doing what you're suppose to be doing. Then you get away with all sorts.
She grinned at her prizes.
The horror on mothers face if she were here right now. Saying that, I wouldn't be here if she were.
Chimera shook her head, determined not to dwell on her dead family, when she spotted the large Golden Gate Bridge across the water. She glanced at the sky and saw that the sun would be setting soon.
Now that would be a hell of a view.
Turning around to work out the best route to the Bridge, Chimera grinned. Across the road, in a carpark, sat a sleek red convertible. Crossing the road, she purred at the sight of a slender silver cat leaping from the bonnet. Circling the car, the rear claimed it to be a Jaguar XKR Coupe Convertible.
"This is just so me."
She slipped a small device from her leather jacket's inner pocket and pressed it against the lock on the car door. A green light flashed several times, before it beeped and the car unlocked. She slid into the soft leather interior and shut the door. Chimera stroked the wheel with a purr, before eyeing up the media centre. she removed the front panel of the media centre and grinned when she found a CAN-Bus connecting everything. She took a second device from another pocket. A precaution in case she had needed transport. She clipped the wires from her small device onto the wires connecting the CAN-Bus to the rest of the car. Using the holographic display that popped up, to run an engine diagnostic, Chimera hacked the car's main systems. She turned of the alarms and GPS, then bypassed the key activation system and grinned when the engine roared to life. She disconnected her computer and replaced the front of the media centre, turning it onto and tapping away to the song that came on.
It's the eye of the tiger
It's the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he's watchin us all with the eye of the tiger
Stroking the wheel, Chimera laughed.
"How about we go play kitten, yeah?"
Revving the engine, Chimera shot out of the parking space and slipped into the traffic, heading for the Golden Gate Bridge.
About halfway across the bridge, Chimera put on the emergency lights and pulled over. There was still space for traffic to bypass her with ease and as expected, they ignored her. At this time of night, there didn't appear to be any pedestrians on the bridge either. Lifting the lid of the convertible, Chimera slipped out of the driver's seat and used the same little device to relock it. She looked up at the large metal wires that held the bridge up. Gripping the bag of strawberries and cream in her mouth, she allowed her nails to form sharp claws and expertly climbed the wires. Height had never bothered her before and it certainly didn't now, as she settled on the flat top of the bridges suspension tower. The red metal was warm from the sun, which was only just starting to sink below the horizon. She stretched out on her belly and watched as the sun turned the ocean and sky a deep blend of pink and orange. Chimera practically purred with delight as she bit into a strawberry. She watched the different ships coming and going from the bay, her eye caught by the swooping dive of seagulls and drawn by the steady hum of passing planes. When she had eaten her fill of strawberries, polishing the pot of cream clean, she stood up and stretched. There was no wind down on the ground, but up on top of the Bridges supports, the wind was toying with her hair. The sun was almost gone and Chimera watched it vanish behind the three islands on the horizon. She made to turn away, but paused with a frown. She glanced back, peering closer at the two islands that sat apart from the third. Her eyesight was sharper than any Humans could ever be, a courtesy of her Feline side. Yet even so, she could barely make out the shimmering that had caught her attention. She stepped closer, her foot brushing the very edge of the tower, as she tried to peer closer. Something about the shimmering seemed familiar, but she could not place where she had seen something like it before. It was not heat rising, for it had a more defined shape and did not spread over the entire horizon. It was confined, but at this distance, she could not tell how or as what. Unable to determine anything more, Chimera stepped back. Shrugging, she gathered up her rubbish and with one more glance to the islands, she made her way back down to the car. The night was young and Chimera was feeling the urge to party.
Dean Winchester took a sip of his whiskey and eyed the girl at the bar with interest. His brother, Sam, was retrieving his laptop from the Impala, but Dean couldn't care less about research at that moment. It had been a long drive and Dean was happy to have finally arrived in San Francisco. They didn't often work in big cities, but Crowley had found some information indicating that the Horseman Pestilence was in the area, preparing to release the Croatoan Virus. Dean huffed into his whiskey. God help them the day they took advice from a Demon. His gaze ran over the girl again and he grinned as she swayed in time with the music playing. She was dressed completely in black, her clothes tight, revealing her curves. Her arms were bare, showing strong muscle and her black hair, which was laced with deep red stripes, hung just past her shoulders. She tossed back the shot she had ordered and Dean frowned when he saw that she was wearing sunglasses. He glanced out of a window, as though confirming it was actually night, before shrugging. She was probably blind. It was highly unlikely that she was something supernatural just because she wore sunglasses. Dean huffed again, watching her more closely. Yeah, okay. This was the Winchesters. Chances were incredibly slim that she was even Human. She slid her sunglasses off, rubbing at her eyes and Dean glanced into the mirror lining the back of the bar in an attempt to see her more clearly. He didn't see anything and drops his gaze as she picks up her leather bikers jacket, turning to pass him to the door. He glanced up and seems to catch her gaze as she passes, giving her a smile that is easily returned. Returned in an almost predatory way as she saunters gracefully past. Dean watches her leave and she turns just enough to glance over her shoulder, sunglasses removed as she grins and his blood runs cold, then the girl is out the door. Dean sits in shock for a mere second, then is out the door and looking for her. He catches a glimpse of her disappearing round a corner to the back of the bar and pulls his phone out, speed dialling Sam.
"Dean? I'm almost at the bar. What's wrong?"
"I just saw a Demon, Sam."
He pulls his gun from the back of his jeans, glancing round to make sure no one saw him as he followed the girl.
"You sure?"
His brother sounded concerned.
"Oh I'm sure. It gets worse though."
"How does it get worse?"
"Her eyes were yellow."
A sharp intake of breath came over the phone and Dean knows he's thinking about Azazel.
"I'll be there in five."
Dean doesn't respond, just snaps his phone closed and slips it back into his pocket. He rounds the corner and finds himself in a yard surrounded by an eight foot wall, a small personnel gate set to one side. An eight foot wall with a yellow eyed girl standing on top, hands on her hips and grinning at the Hunter. She didn't seem at all concerned when he aimed his gun at her.
"Well look at you Handsome, armed and dangerous. My kind of guy."
Dean rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. Like I haven't heard that before. Now, why don't you get down from there, before I put a round in you, bitch."
The girl snorted.
Well, aren't you a charmer?"
She crouched down, hands coming together to clasp between her knees.
"You know, I would very much appreciate it, if you didn't 'put a round in me' as you say. I rather like this jacket."
Dean raised an eyebrow.
"Do I look like I care? What are you even doing here? Crowley send you?"
The girls smile faded into a look of confusion.
"Whose Crowley?"
Dean blinked at her.
Short British guy. Irritating smart ass with a flair for dramatics."
The girl seemed to think for a moment, chewing on her bottom lip, which Dean found a little distracting. Finally she shook her head.
"No, don't know any British guys called Crowley. I know plenty of dramatic smart asses, but none by that name."
Dean growled, shaking his head to clear it. It had been a long day and she was hot, so sue him.
"Whatever. You better tell me why you're here, or I swear I will shoot you. I've sent one of you yellow eyed bastards back to Hell before. I can do it again."
The girl fixed him with a more severe gaze, her expression less playful and more attentive.
"Hell? That's in Michigan, isn't it? And you're saying you sent one of my kind there? You, have met a Therian? On Earth? But, that's impossible. I have the only ship built by my kind, with the power to get here."
Deans gun wavered slightly and he frowned.
"What? No, I do not mean Hell in Michigan. I mean Hell as in down under. Eternal torment. Fire and Brimstone. As in Lucifer and Demons. Heaven and Hell, you know. Hang on, what the fuck is a Therian?"
The girl raised an eyebrow.
Heaven and Hell? You are actually being serious? I was told they were just stories, used in one of your many religions, to scare people. Now you're telling me, they are real? And you've sent one of my kind there?"
Dean was confused. This yellow eyed girl was not making sense. How could she not know about Hell? Why was she talking about ships? Since when did Demons use ships?
"Yeah. Azazel. You should have heard about him. He was a pretty big deal among the Demons in Hell."
"And that means I would know him how?"
Dean barked a short laugh.
"You can't fool me love. I know you Demons are all up on each others shit. Especially with the boss man walking around. "
The girl suddenly burst out laughing.
"Well, I have got to admit, this isn't the first planet to call me a Demon."
Dean shifted. Where the hell was Sam? This was so not going the way he had expected. The girl straightened up and stretched, her top riding up to show a strip of belly. Dean couldn't help but run his gaze over her, blushing when he met her amused gaze.
"You know, as much as I would love to stay and chat handsome, I've got things to do, a ship to run, a hunt to follow. So I really need to go."
Dean frowned up at her.
"Hang on. You're hunting something?"
The girl grinned.
"Yeah. A Goa'uld. Not that it's anything to you."
"You're hunting a ghoul?"
The girl rolled her eyes and enunciated the name more.
"Goa'uld. Cute, but not very bright I see. Oh well, maybe I'll sniff you out when I'm done and we can have some fun."
"Wait."
Dean called to her as she stepped backwards with a grin, vanishing behind the wall. Dean shot through the metal personnel gate and emerged onto a quite road. He glanced around, but the street was empty except for a black cat licking its paw.
"Any chance you saw which way she went?"
The cat purred, wandering over to bruff against his feet.
"Yeah, didn't think so."
He turned back to the bar with a shake of his head.
"You sure she didn't say Ghoul?"
"Yes Sammy, I'm sure. She actually called me stupid for that same question."
Dean huffed as he ran a hand over his face. He was tired. Sam had arrived at the bar just as he had rounded the corner leaving the courtyard. They had headed back to the motel room and Dean had detailed his conversation with the yellow eyed girl. Sam was just as confused and currently toying with his laptop. Unfortunately, neither of them had much of an idea what to search for.
"When I told her, we had sent a yellow eyed demon back to Hell in the past, she thought I meant Hell in Michigan. When I explained where Hell was, she thought I was being funny."
Sam snorted, leaning back in his chair and looking at his brother, who had flopped back onto the bed.
"What sort of Demon, doesn't know Hell exists, let alone where it is?"
Dean threw his hands up with a grunt. Sam took a drink from his beer, frowning with a thought.
"Maybe she isn't a Demon."
Dean pushed himself up onto his elbows.
"Course she was a Demon. I saw her eyes and no one would have been able to jump eight feet from a wall, then disappear into thin air."
Sam shook his head, leaning forward.
"I'm not denying that she isn't Human. I'm just saying, maybe she isn't a Demon either."
Dean frowned in thought, then shrugged.
"Well, her eyes stayed yellow. They didn't change at all when she blinked. She also said she was hunting this Goa'uld thing or whatever. Not really a Demon's style."
Sam shook his head.
"Never heard of a Goa'uld. I'll give Bobby a call in the morning and see what he says. Maybe he'll know something."
Dean grunted.
"You should probably mention that she kept going on about Planets and ships. Whatever she is, I don't think she is quite right in the head."
Sam laughed, draining his beer and packing away his laptop.
"What's the plan for tomorrow?"
Dean sat up with a groan.
"I don't know. Crowley said he'd found information about Pestilence and the Croatoan Virus here. He's suppose to be meeting us at some point."
"So, we're just trusting Crowley of all people?"
Dean glowered at him.
"I don't trust him Sam, but we don't have much to go on. So if you have a better idea, I would sure love to hear it."
Sam zipped the laptop back shut and frowned.
"Why don't we see if there are any medical facilities in San Francisco with connections to Niveau Pharmaceuticals."
Dean nodded.
"As good a place as any to start."