The Blood Eagle In The Big Easy Part 14

Come to think of it, the Norse were the toughest of all to organize due to their pride and traditions. The truth of the matter was that they were more than capable of handling their own issues without me or my over zealous plans. It was due to their self sufficient nature that I chose to follow one of their leaders to the New World. It was as brutal as it was beautiful. The native people were humble yet capable and lived in harmony with the land. It took a few hundred years to work my way south through the wild and yet untamed land. This is when I met the Choctaw and learned their ways. It would be another century before I encountered my first wraith and my subsequent meeting with Hustahli.

By the time I dropped Gregory at his office he was understandably dazed, trying to comprehend the totality of what he had learned. He was handling the information better than most who had learned only a fraction of what he now knew. Without Gregory in the car the trip home was considerably shorter as well as a lot quieter! My fingers kept fidgeting with the evidence bag as I walked to my apartment. Absently waving at the doorman as he opened the door for me my mind wandered through the days events. I punched the elevator b.u.t.ton and waited for the doors to slid open, allowing me to step inside for the privacy I desired. Taking the evidence bag out of my jacket pocket I held it up to the light to inspect it properly. Pete had hit the nail on the head! This was a metacarpal bone which had been removed presumably from one of my family members. The silver coating seemed to be made of the same nanites and were still trying to preserve what was left of their owner.

Pa.s.sing through the front door of my apartment a few moments later I headed for my bedroom placing the evidence bag on the dresser. A shower was definitely in order after the day I had. All I could hope was that dead wraith actually washed off. It took me much longer than normal to feel even remotely clean. I just couldn't seem to wash the ickiness off me with any certainty! My stomach was growling and I knew it was time to get out of the shower, no matter what my feelings were about my current state of hygiene. Grabbing a clean pair of jeans and a ts.h.i.+rt I dressed on the way to the kitchen to find something to eat. I always kept a fully stocked pantry but my refrigerator was a different story entirely. All I could find were boring cold cuts. Before I had a chance to take a bite of anything the front door rattled with a soft knock, which surprised me. I wasn't exactly expecting guests. It wasn't as if stranger things hadn't happened today and having an unannounced visitor was hardly out of the ordinary.

The tile floor was cold on my bare feet as I made my way across the room. Opening the door I was stunned to find Mir standing there.

"What the h.e.l.l?" Looking around the hall to ensure he wasn't seen I quickly ushered him inside. "Did anyone see you?"

"I should think not." Mir's face was colored with mirth. "Unless you know someone else in the royal family."

Understanding flooded through me. Only those who were born with the implants in their optic nerves could see him. "Oh yeah, my bad. So what's with the door routine?"

"Thought it might be a better idea than just popping in on you unannounced." He casually strolled across the room taking a seat at the bar. "In time you will be able to sense my presence or even summon me when needed but for now those particular functions are still offline."

Returning to my sandwich I layered it with more meat than bread, which was the way a sandwich should be in my opinion. "Seems you've been quickly updating my system. Some of the recent upgrades have been extremely helpful."

"Like being able to kill a wraith?" Mir longingly eyed my food. "You should be careful not to overextend yourself."

Choking down my food I found myself slightly annoyed with Mir. "Like I had a lot of choices at the time!"

"True enough." He leaned back in his chair as he lost himself in thought. "Your new abilities will need exercising. Think of it as training for a marathon. The more you use them the less they will tax your system."

"I will keep that in mind when this is all over and no one is trying to kill me." I grabbed the rest of my food and made my way around the counter to take a seat at the end of the bar. "Seriously though, thanks for the help."

"It's what I'm here for." He stood and stretched as he walked around the room running his hand along the couch and walls as if he were still desperately trying to feel something for the first time in G.o.d knew how long. "The nanites are repairing your power reserves so you can maintain your stamina longer."

"How does all this work?"

"As time goes on you will find new abilities at your disposal, but they will all need to be honed to be of any use." Mir turned and sat on the couch as he looked at me curiously. "It will take a lot of hard work but I am sure you're up for the task."

Returning to the kitchen to make myself another sandwich I suddenly knew how Gregory felt earlier as my mind swam in the possibilities. "Glad to know at least one of us thinks I am. It's a lot to take in."

After was.h.i.+ng the dishes I joined Mir in the living room and relaxed in one of the recliners. We quickly fell into a deep discussion about my abilities and how they worked. It was due to the *Organic Dynamic Intelligence Nexus' or O.D.I.N., which were a series of crystalline substances both liquid and otherwise distributed through my body to keep me whole. In time I would be able to use facial recognition in conjunction with unrestricted access to all online information. Tracking software, for lack of a better term, was being upgraded to allow me to see in several different light spectrums. The nearest point of reference I had for most of the virtual overlay of continuous information was *Project Gla.s.s' by Google, except on steroids.

Mir flooded my mind with a virtual show and tell of many of the less combat oriented features causing my mind's eye to blur. I was dizzied by the sheer amount of information. He quickly dialed it back several notches allowing me to breath. Gaining a deeper understanding of how I worked was deeply gratifying after being in the dark for so long. The liquid crystals throughout my body acted not only as a black box to store information but could also transmit and sort it as well. Many of the lower functions were coming back online giving me full access to everything that had ever been put into cybers.p.a.ce. Walking onto the balcony I looked out at the city with a virtual overlay of information constantly streaming through my cortex.

At first it made me nauseous as I became somewhat woozy, but true to his word it didn't take long for me to adapt to the new stimulus. When I focused on the church across the street it's entire history was available for my review and stored for later retrieval. Giving thought to going to the nearest restaurant a virtual map came to mind allowing for traffic conditions as well as several local reviews. While these were fun and interesting features, the floor plans that were made accessible to me were invaluable and could make for several tactical advantages. Looking down I caught sight of my doorman, Jack who stood outside. His entire file popped into my mind, and I quickly learned more about the man than I had ever wished too. Even his internet searches came to me along with many other personal details that were not in his official file. It was disconcerting and I made a mental note to filter only the pertinent information for future occurrences.

I also learned that my s.h.i.+elds were actually generated by the latent energy contained within all things which created a solid barrier around me, allowing only the non poisonous ga.s.ses to pa.s.s through when activated. They could be adapted to create a fire s.h.i.+eld as they had earlier into some other element such as electricity, stone or even water. They were limited only by my imagination and energy reserves. Several of these features were out of reach at the moment due to the ongoing repairs but they would be online at some point. In the future I would be able to absorb the latent energy from my surroundings instead of depending upon my personal stores which were currently dangerously low after so many years of use. It was lucky that I hadn't overextended myself and died from my own ignorance.

The telekinetic abilities I recently inherited worked by displacing the energy surrounding the object in question. It was all very fascinating while incredibly complicated. There were so many things I didn't quite grasp the concept of, but overall I got the picture. In the years ahead new abilities would turn themselves on as my higher functions were reset. Mir wasn't sure how long it would take or if they would ever return to one hundred percent but it was a start. Just before the end of the evening I asked about my daughter and the possibility of being born with these abilities. It was a question he too was curious about since there had never been a record of me being able to procreate. He a.s.sured me he would look into the matter once he was sure that the repairs I needed were well underway. His goal was to get me up and running at peak performance as soon as possible. My main objective was to make it through the next few days with all my appendages intact while maintaining a pulse. Sleep came easy for the first time in weeks even if my dreams were full of dark, unspeakable things.

Chapter 20.

December 2nd A low dark voice echoed through my mind calling for me, tugging at my soul as it cried out for me to obey its summons. Sitting atop of the throne Hlidskialf within the walls of Valaskjalf I looked around the room in the vain hope of catching a glimpse of Jormungandr and its unseen masters. Valaskjalf was the most advanced holographic observation post in all of the kingdom. From where I sat I could see in perfect clarity in every direction. When looking at deep s.p.a.ce it was a bit disconcerting. Even now to see the vastness of s.p.a.ce in every direction was overwhelming.

Lightning crashed all around me as the giant wyrm swam through s.p.a.ce, destroying all within its path. Its heavily armored body protected it from the a.s.sault by our fleet lead by my grandfather, the Allfather. They were our last defense against the beast and the darkborn, L. O. K. I. (Logic, Oriented, Kinetic, Initiative). The wyrm would soon be upon our homeworld and we would meet the same fate as the others, to be devoured in the great maw of the beast. We knew it was a battle that could not be won yet we fought them to a standstill several times over the years. Inevitably they would break through our defenses to continue their death march. Through our science we had found an escape to a place that we were confident couldn't be found. The Allfather covered our desperate evacuation as the last of the Empire's population fled to our one last hope for salvation.

Due to the perceived sins that my father and the Allfather had birthed the empire in blood they now refused to lead, forcing me to reign in their stead. Looking out at the world I knew it was well past time to leave. Valaskjalf shook violently as the war was finally brought to our doorstep and in the end my home would be nothing more than dust scattered throughout the universe with no one left to tell our story. Lowering my chair the hologram vanished as I touched the floor below.

Quickening my step as I felt the earth move below me from the attack, I hurried through the corridors. All the while the same dark voice called out to me to stop running and give myself over to the nothingness that awaited me after death. Hearing a woman's voice calling out from the one of the confinement cells where we kept prisoners awaiting sentencing I stopped to see who could have been left behind. I found Gullveig beating against the door begging to be freed. A part of me wanted to leave her but I couldn't risk her living long enough to give the Darkborn information of our whereabouts.

Punching the code on the keypad to her cell, the door slid open. Her face contorted in rage as she realized that I was her savior and . "You can come with me or I can put a hole in your head now, your choice."

Her lip twitched as she considered her options before she spoke. "We will pick up our business after our current crisis is avoided."

"If we have that type of luxury you can bet on it, but until then do we have a truce?"

She silently glared at me, which I took as confirmation. It was the best I was going to get from the ancient crone. Running for the hanger at full speed I took note that no matter what she looked liked she could move when the occasion called for it. The dark voice echoed through the corridors as it called me back to the place of my birth demanding that I stand and face my impending doom.

I awoke, gasping for breath and covered in sweat. I sat up and swung my legs off the bed, hanging my head as I tried to control my breathing. Sweat continued to pour off me as I trembled with fear. Standing slowly I made my way to the shower. The hot water helped wash away the effects of the dream. Once I felt in control I got out of the shower and dressed for the day. Looking out my window I could see that the night still reigned supreme throughout the land as it was only three in the morning. I grabbed a quick bite, then I headed for the office. The sky was clear and the stars shone brightly as the moon hung low in the sky. There was a chill in the air as the wind wrapped itself around me, making me pull my jacket tighter as I s.h.i.+vered.

Pa.s.sing through the bra.s.s doors of my office I caught sight of Justine at her desk. It struck me as odd that she was always at her desk no matter when I came in. "Do you ever get a day off?"

"Of course I do." She was clearly enjoying herself. "When you're off, I'm off."

"Taunting your boss is hardly a way to get a raise." Her mirth was infectious. She was one of the only employees I had that joked with me. "So you seem to think that not having me here is some type of treat?"

She looked up at me questioningly as she was clearly confused. "Not at all, I mean when you're not in the office I have a day off, literally."

Okay what the h.e.l.l was that supposed to mean? The girl is always at work when I'm here but she can't be serious. Thinking about it though I couldn't remember a time since she started working here that she wasn't at her desk to greet me."I'm sorry? Please explain your last statement."

"They don't tell you much about the day to day operations do they?" Justine leaned back in her chair as she made herself comfortable. She had that look that she was about to tell the slow kids parents that their child wasn't doing very well. "And by *they' I mean Kira."

"Perhaps you should enlighten me." Great! Kira was involved in this c.r.a.p somehow. This was going to be painful, mostly for me from the looks of things.

"Well, hypothetically speaking," She laughed as if at some private joke. "Oh to h.e.l.l with it! I live in a small one room efficiency directly under your office." She waved in the general direction of a room. "Kira doubled my salary to make sure I was always available whenever you came in."

That made my head hurt. Why in G.o.ds name would she have to do that?"I'm sorry, but I don't grasp the concept as to why on earth would she do that?" My daughter must have lost her mind making this poor girl be here all hours of the day and night.

Justine leaned forward placing her elbows on the counter as the mirth left her face. "You don't have a clue do you?"

"Obviously not." This had officially hit the highly uncomfortable mark and was more than a little painful if not downright embarra.s.sing. I started to develope the nasty little feeling that you sometimes get in the pit of your stomach.

"Wow, ahh, d.a.m.n." Sitting back in her chair she crossed her arms as she grimaced. "I don't know where to start." She stood and paced in her little cubby until she found the words that she was looking for. "While I don't mind your personality, others might find you abrasive and I have even heard the term ill tempered tossed around a few times."

What she said wasn't exactly hard to believe but it still didn't explain things. "Okay so who isn't?"

Justine flashed me one of her trademark smiles as she took her seat. "Well, I think you're charming and that's why Kira has me here. I seem to be immune to your idiosyncrasies while other people want to shoot themselves in the head after a week of dealing with you."

Wow she really knows how to pull her punches. This was now past emotionally painful and now we were in uncharted territory. "I had no idea I was that bad." The entire concept of it all made my head hurt. "I realized that we've had several people in this position over the years, but I a.s.sumed that they had moved on to other divisions."

"Oh they moved on alright. Most of them are field agents who swear that the scary stuff they see out there pale in comparison to Mr. Grouchy. Please understand that they are fiercely loyal to you but don't want to have to deal with you on a daily basis."

"I suppose I'm Mr. Grouchy?"

"Oh please, you're a teddy bear to me, but to some the answer is yes, you are Mr. Grouchy." She eyed me and gave me a coy smile and wink.

"I think I was happier not knowing this information."

Justine giggled as she leaned back in her chair. "Its your own fault for asking. You have a strict policy around here. Always make sure you really want to know the answer before asking the question."

I shook my head and mumbled as I walked toward the stairs. "I hate it when people use my own philosophies against me."

As I stalked upstairs I didn't know if I should be amused or offended that my daughter had gone through so much trouble. Justine didn't seem to mind and it appeared to be common knowledge to everyone except me. What bothered me the most was that she had kept it from me. It would explain why she was so anxious to take the position as my second here at the office after she pa.s.sed her field tests. It allowed her to s.h.i.+eld the others from my grumpiness as well as have a say in how the office was run.

About thirty minutes later Kira walked through the door to my office and quickly closed it behind her. "How are you today?" She was fidgeting as her cheeks glowed crimson.

She used to act this way when she was a child and got caught doing something wrong. Leaning my chair back I waited for her to confess to whatever it was she thought she had done wrong. "Doing well, and you?"

Shrinking back in her chair she glanced nervously around the room. "Do you want to talk about anything?"

Walking around the desk to take a seat next to her I put my hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her. "Is there something you want to tell me?"

Wringing her hands she hung her head as her voice dropped. "You're going to make me start this conversation, aren't you?"

She flashed me those big sad eyes and poured on the daddy's little girl routine. Just for the record no father has a defense against such things, so I started the conversation for her. "Would you like to talk about Justine?"

She shrugged her shoulders in a non committal fas.h.i.+on as she looked at me. "I thought you might want to is all."

Leaning back in my chair I smiled at her as I thought about the whole situation. "All things considered you did the right thing." She looked hopeful but waited for the other shoe to drop. "You found a solution to a problem I didn't even know existed, which is highly commendable."

Her face lit up like a Christmas Tree. "I did, didn't I!"

"Don't get too full of yourself there, but yes you did. Thank you for that."

"I honestly don't know how you got by without me all those years." She leaned back in her chair, clearly more than a little proud of herself.

"It was tough but I made due with what little talent I possessed at the time."

She screwed up her face in annoyance. "Oh now you're just making fun of me!"

"No, I'm not." Maybe a little, but she had done well. "I'm not sure what I would do without you."

She shrank once more in her chair as her face fell flat and her voice dropped to that of a whisper. "Were you ever going to tell us who you really are?"

It was my turn to s.h.i.+ft uncomfortably in my seat as the question burned deep. "Eventually..." My voice was hoa.r.s.e as my throat seemed much too dry. "I wasn't sure how to start that conversation."

Kira s.h.i.+fted in her seat as she tried to contain her emotions. "You could have just told us, we would've understood."

Pus.h.i.+ng myself to my feet I started pacing the floor. "So when should I have brought this up?" The dryness in my throat caused me to cough as my emotions tried to free themselves. "I didn't want to burden you with such a secret." My legs started to shake, making me unsteady on my feet and forcing me to sit. "It's more than you should have to bear, either of you."

Kira took my hand in hers and held it tightly. "It must have been extremely lonely for you. All those years with no one to share them with."

"It wasn't as if I didn't know anyone before you and your mother came along." Finding strength in the need to comfort her my voice returned to some semblance of normalcy. "But yes at times it was extremely hard and lonely."

Tears slowly ran down her face, unable to stop herself. "Does it ever get easier to lose those you love?"

My heart ached for her as I didn't have an easy answer for her, but lying wouldn't help the situation. "No, no it doesn't"

She wiped her eyes as she sniffled. "But you loved mom and you had me, so how can you stand it?"

"Stand what?"

"Knowing that one day you will lose us?" Kira sobbed as she hid her face in her hands.

This was the real reason I had never brought it up before. Seeing her in tears was more than I could handle. "I wouldn't trade the love I have for either of you for anything in the world."

"Why do you continue to do it?" She sniffled again.

"Do what exactly?"

"Continue to involve yourself in the world around you?" She swept her arms around as she made her way to the bar for a fresh napkin. "How can you stand the pain?"

"Love!" It was the only answer I had. "Without love what's the point of life?" Walking over to her I put my arm around her shoulder. "Life, no matter how long or short, is full of both wonder and suffering." Pulling her close she cried into my shoulder. "Life is as hard and unyielding as it is beautiful and tender. Hang onto the joy and let go of the pain. If you can do that you will be able to thrive instead of merely surviving life." Holding her tightly I whispered in her ear. "So love deeply and often, cry when it hurts and rejoice in the little things."

She hugged me for all she was worth. "You're so much stronger than I ever dreamt." She sat down as she wiped more tears from her eyes. "You're still my hero in so many ways, I don't know if I could do it if I were in your shoes."

That made me uncomfortable as I took a seat next to her wringing my hands nervously. "We should talk about that possibility."

Closing her eyes she turned to me with a sad and confused look on her face. I broke my heart to see her like that. "Oh, so there's more?"

s.h.i.+fting uncomfortably in my seat I wasn't sure how to answer her. "I don't know if there is or not, but you are my daughter and there is a chance you could be like me."

Her face contorted between fear and joy. "I don't know if I want to be like you in that way. I think I do, but I'm scared."

"You're a wise woman indeed."

She leaned back in her chair as she considered the possibilities. There were tests that could be performed to verify my suspicions but that would come in time. For now we talked about life, love and the inevitability of death. It wasn't as if I couldn't die but left to my own devices and foregoing anything hazardous I wasn't sure just how many years I had in front of me, and I already had 2800 behind me. Mir told me that while the aging process was nearly nonexistent at a cellular level, I still aged however slowly it might be. Kira was frightened of the world changing around her and the people she loved dying while she watched helplessly. They were valid fears and ones that still haunt me to this day. The world is always changing and morphing into something altogether more beautiful and horrible at the same time. All we could do was hope for the best and do what we could to keep those around us safe. We spent the next few hours talking before she left to have the tests done. That left me with nothing else to do but worry about the results, and perhaps catch up on some paperwork.

Chapter 21.