New Blood

Things had turned quite still, in Samsa’s Grotto. Even Odyssey’s drones had called a synchronised halt. This was the silent space we inhabited, following Mark’s discovery that the mass of limbs, spines, and green goo before him had once been a living thing.

“They’re the being who took me. Who took all of the others, back in that room you hated being in. She’s a Thrastrian. One I nicknamed Samsa. And one for whom I made…let’s say, an executive decision.”

“I think,” he said, quietly, “in your own, not-so-subtle way, you’re trying not to admit that you’ve killed someone.”

“It’s a possibility. However,” I said, and held up an index finger, “I will point out, she did try to kill me first. A little scheme of hers is the reason you two needed to bring breathing equipment.”

I told them to do that.

I blew a kiss at the nearest drone, and faced Mark again. Or, faced the back of his head – he still hadn’t turned around.

“If that bothers you-”

“It doesn’t.”

That knocked some air loose. I felt like an orator who just stood up, speech notes in hand, and had a glass tumbler thrown at their face.

Mark finally turned to face me. I admit, he might’ve just had his fill of seeing (and smelling) the remains of Samsa.

“You look surprised,” he said. “Al and I…” He took a moment to think. “Okay, I’m from Earth. You think the concept is new to me? I might’ve learned that there’s a lot more stuff beyond Earth, but I’m not so naive to think that crime just stops at the Ozone Layer.”

I did my best ‘you’re not wrong’ face. “Actually, from an outside-in point of view, it actually gets a lot milder.”

And here’s me in my greenhouse with a bucket of rocks. Sure, humans can kill. I can erase people.

Not that Mark needs to hear that, just now…

“And, besides,” Mark cleaved ever onwards, “you already told me. Kane Manor, superpowers. I think the words you so delicately chose were… ‘neither the cultists nor the manor were ready for me.’”

I could almost hear Al snorting into that hot drink Odyssey had conjured for her…

Mark nodded. “So, no. It doesn’t bother me that you killed someone.”

I braced myself. There’s always an ‘and’ when it comes to Al and me. Why do I get the feeling that the next work between us is about to be:

“But,” said Mark.

HH & M