Episode 27

Scarlet waited patiently as Flinch prepped his machines. Helfeirch had finished cleaning up and now stood beside her with his arms crossed. He had been provided clothes that mirrored hers, black pants, a t-shirt, and boots. His t-shirt allowed Scarlet to see his arms for the first time, and she found them covered in scars and tattoos. His goggles, which looked like they'd been washed, remained strapped around his head.

"Alright, hop up on the table," Flinch stated.

Climbing up on the table, she remembered the last time she was on a thing like this, the cold metal against her back, the rotten-smelling air, the piercing of the lights. It seemed so long ago that she woke up in the Scavenger Lands scarcely dressed and full of confusion. She had more clothes now, but her confusion had only grown. Maybe, at last, she'd have answers. She dared to hope that she would.

She laid there, as still as she could, for what seemed like hours as Flinch's machines examined her. All the while, Helfeirch stood over her, never leaving her side.

'Four years… Gone for four years. It certainly didn't take me four years to get up here from the Scavenger Lands. How long…? How long did I lay on a table like this while they cut me open and changed me from the inside? And who is it that's done this to me? The face of the crazy man she'd woken up to and the woman she'd seen in her dream came to the forefront of her mind.'

She then looked up at the scanning machines. She knew they were both involved, but it wasn't enough. Finally, the machines had stopped, and Scarlet sat up, dangling her feet off the table.

"So?" she asked Flinch.

Flinch gave a forced exhale. "I've never seen anything like this. Whoever did this to you … is ... way high up, someone with a lot of money and very smart." He paused. "Your body is mutating. Of course, you know that. Into what, though, I can't tell you." He paused again, looking down. "Scarlet, there's no way to reverse it. Not that I could find anyways. Maybe whoever did this to you could, but I don't see why they would."

Scarlet reminded herself to breathe as she rubbed her face with her hands. Deep down, she knew that this couldn't be fixed.

"There's one more thing. Whoever did all this to you, put a v-tracker in you. Very high-tech, military-grade I'd say. I disabled it. But until you reached this part of town, they could hear everything you heard, see everything you saw, possibly even do more."

Scarlet's eyes raised to look at Flinch's with a hint of panic. "So, they know that I'm here?"

"Not here per se. I have safeties set up for situations like this. The signal started bouncing all over the city as soon as you entered my safety zone.

'A military-grade v-tracker… I wonder if that's why I've been hearing that woman's voice in my head.' Then another thought occurred to her.

"Can you see where they were tracking me from?" she asked.

Flinch shook his head. "No. But I'm telling you, tech like this; it can only come from one place..."

"Heaven's Spire." Scarlet paused. "Awesome."

"I can give you some supplies."

"Thanks, then we'll get out of your hair. It's won't be safe for you if I stay here long."

Flinch merely pressed his lips together.

Scarlet and Helfeirch ate before they were given a few weapons and money. Opening the door, Scarlet turned back to Flinch.

"Thank you for everything, Flinch."

"Of course. Don't mention it." He paused. "Scarlet. I'm really glad you're alive."

She didn't know what to say. So, she gave a small smile and nodded.

With that, Scarlet shut the door behind her and could hear it lock. Back out on the city streets, she peered up at the center. Heaven's Spire towered high into the sky.

"We should find someplace to sleep." She then heard Helfeirch say.

Scarlet took in a deep breath. "I know just the place… if they're still in business."

The early morning darkness still lingered over them as they made their way through the streets. They walked more openly than before, and while Scarlet had garnished a few strange looks, it was nothing more than she expected. It was quite common for people to undergo body mods. Although, hers would be considered more on the elaborate side.

Coming up on the hotel she'd been looking for, she was relieved to find it still in business. It was a place she had been many times, though she doubted the owners would recognize her now. As she opened the entrance door, a ding rang out, telling of her arrival. Walking in on the blood-red carpet, she paused to look about the place, nothing had changed.

The foyer was mostly the color of deep-red accented by rich golds and browns. The décor was old but well cared for and clean, and its age gave the place a certain charm that was not present in most of Lygredd. Approaching the front desk, she was instinctively greeted by the old man behind the counter.

"Good day, how may I help you?"

"Hey Pops, I'd like a room for the two of us," Scarlet answered.

She knew that the man hadn't recognized her, but the instant he heard her voice, he paused and gave her a good long look.

"Scarlet… is that you, dear?"

"Sure is."

The old man's face lit up with a smile that stretched across his face, and Scarlet couldn't help but meet his smile with her own. Within moments, the man was out from behind the counter and hugging the young woman.

"Oh, my dear, I thought you were dead. What happened to you?"

"It's a long story, and I'm afraid I don't even know the whole of it yet."

"Come. Come, let me get you a room," he said as he shuffled behind the counter. "You look positively exhausted." He handed Scarlet a key. "The key to your old room. Now go get you some rest, and we will talk afterwards."

"Thank you, Pops."

Turning, Scarlet ascended the stairs, followed closely by Helfeirch, who had not said a word but had only watched the interaction. Scarlet soon collapsed onto the bed of her room.

'A bed. A real bed, nice and clean, and so much better than I remember…'

It wasn't a moment later that she was fast asleep.