The Apocalypse Contract

CHAPTER 30 - ROGER

Roger looked from one Sydney to the other. His confusion was reflected in the faces of both women. Then the expression of the darkly dressed Sydney shifted to suspicion and anger.

"I won't be fooled by you," dark Sydney yelled.

Original Sydney took a step back. "Wuh? What the hell?"

"You think this will actually work? I know your tricks. You've used them all up. You've used me up and there's no more left. You can't defeat me!" Her features were the same, but a mask of rage twisted this new Sydney into a different person.

"I.. I don't know what you mean." Sydney held up her hands and took another step back. "I'm not your enemy. We're not... we just want to go home."

"You can't say that," Sydney's twin shouted. "You can't take my words from me." She began pacing, walking in a figure eight. "Shut up shut up shut up you can't take the words from my head. You can't be me because I'm me and I got all of them. They're all mine now. All the words are mine now and only I can say them."

Sydney watched this strange version of herself walking in circles. "What did they do to you," she whispered.

Dark Sydney stopped her pacing. "As if you don't know!" she shouted. "You with your promises and words and lies. You can't hide in that face. I know who you are. You can't lie to me anymore. Now I control the game." She clasped her hands over her head, then brought them apart, and reality came apart with them.

The change was so abrupt that Roger lost his balance and fell to his knees. He stood, then rushed to help Sydney up. The world around them was transformed. They stood on a beach of gray sand at the edge of a still ocean. The sky was overcast but dotted with numerous dark, flying shapes. His eyes followed their path inland, where they spiraled around an enormous castle perched atop an imposing mountain. The black robed version of Sydney was nowhere to be seen.

The real Sydney was staring at the castle. "Oh my god, I know this place," she declared. She turned around, taking in the full view, then turned to Roger. "We have to get to the castle, to the Court of Mirrors." She began walking away from the beach and up a rocky hillside, toward the castle.

Roger hurried behind her. "I'm pleased you have some clue as to what the blazes is going on, but I would appreciate you sharing it with me."

Sydney either didn't hear or was ignoring him and continued climbing.

Roger stopped. "Miss Rossiter," he yelled, "I am not taking another step until you explain to me what the bloody hell is going on."

She finally stopped and turned. "Do we have to do this now? We need to get farther inland before the sun goes down."

"Yes, we damn well need to do this now. I've spent the last two days being yanked about from one impossible thing to the other, and I think I've been quite civilized about it, but I refuse to take another step until you explain to me where we are."

Sydney sighed, then sat down on a rock. "We are on the Island of Crows. That castle behind us is where the Queen of Crows lives, sitting on her throne in the Court of Mirrors."

"And you know this how?"

"Because I read the story like a thousand times when I was little."

Roger rubbed his temples. "You are saying we are in a children's story?"

"Is that so hard to believe? We were in a melange of trashy sci-fi stories a moment ago."

"And that frightening version of you?"

"I think she must be a copy. I assumed the aliens were sending me on just the one mission, but there's no reason they couldn't make copies once they'd digitized us. It would be wasteful not to, if you think about it."

Roger was silent for several seconds. "There is something decidedly wrong with her."

"Yes, I know. She must have had a rougher time of it than I did. Than either of us." Sydney looked at the world around them. "What in the hell happened to make her retreat to this place?"

"I'm still not totally clear on what's going on," Roger admitted.

"She said something about controlling the game. I think she means for us to make our way through the story. Maybe it's a test of some kind. I don't know for certain, but whatever is going on, we definitely shouldn't stay here. The beach will get dangerous at night."

"Dangerous? Isn't this all an illusion like that mad city of yours?"

"Yes, but it's an illusion she controls. She can make it as dangerous as she likes. Heck, she could delete us with a wave of her hand if she chooses. The holodeck's mortality failsafes have been disabled. We can die here."

Roger took a moment to absorb these cryptic words. "Well then, perhaps I should lead the way. With your guidance, of course."

Sydney rolled her eyes. "My hero. Come on, we'll run toward the danger together."

They continued up the rocky slope. When they crested the hill, they stopped and examined what lay below.

Roger was the first to speak. "What the blazes is that?"

"Just what it looks like. A forest of giant mushrooms."

"It's like something from a bloody Lewis Carroll story."

"Hmm. You're right. I never really thought about it when I was little, but this book was a bit derivative. Come on, no point dragging our feet. Just watch out for giant clockwork insects. You can disable them by pulling out their winding keys." She started down the slope into the mushroom forest.

The air cooled as they descended. A musty smell grew, becoming almost overpowering.

"I would love to know how she figured out the olfactory attributes for this," Sydney mused.

"It's bloody disgusting," Roger observed, a handkerchief held over his nose.

Sydney gave Roger a curious look.

"I have a mold allergy," he explained, his voice muffled by the handkerchief.

"I doubt that. It's unlikely it survived the loss of your meat-sack body. You're digital now. That actually comes with a few advantages."

Roger removed the handkerchief and took a few cautious sniffs. "It still smells atrocious."

"Yes. The attention to detail is amazing."

They walked on, picking their way among the trunks of the towering mushrooms.

"You claimed there would be clockwork insects," Roger commented.

"Yes, I'm surprised we haven't encountered any yet."

"You sound almost disappointed."

"I confess I'm curious to see her interpretation of them."

"You'll pardon me if I don't share your enthusiasm for her workmanship."

Sydney was about to answer, but the words were snatched from her mouth as the ground gave way beneath them.