Curtain Fall Chapter 25

‘Thank God that is over!’, David thought to himself as he gladly stepped down the boarding plank of the destroyer he’d spent the last few days on. Even being almost instantly soaked by stepping into the torrential downpour of the storm that had paced them in the voyage couldn’t dim the relief being on land. While he understood that the military vessel had been in no serious danger during the tropical storm they’d sailed through, his stomach had most definitely disagreed. He’d found himself spending almost two whole days in the head endlessly retching first food, then what little liquids he’d tried to get down, then simply bile. He felt exhausted and completely rung out.

“Director Feber?” a young voice called out as he turned to see a young lieutenant standing holding an umbrella at the base of the plank and simply shining with earnest and youthful health. Grimacing, David raised his hand still working his way down.

The lieutenant moved to the end and quickly moved to cover with the umbrella the VIP as quickly as he could. Saluting the soldier, introduced himself, “Lieutenant Tom Findlay. I’m to be one of your military attachés.” He gestured to a Jeep not far away and continued, “The storm has grounded all the choppers so we have to get you on one of the patrol boats to get you to the base.”

David groaned at hearing this but curtly commanded the soldier to get them there without delay. In a few moments they were in a Jeep and on their way to the final leg of David’s journey.

“Well lieutenant, any new developments inside the dome, or out?”

Now it was lieutenant Findlay who grimaced. “No sir. Since the FUBAR on the river, we’ve had no interactions with the ‘F.E.M.s’ at all. We don’t even see even patrols at the barrier! If we didn’t have regular drone reports that they were there, you’d be tempted to say they were gone.”

David focused on the reference to the river incident, “Speaking of the river, you’ve had some time to investigate. Do we have a clearer understanding of what happened?”

“Well sir, it appears that there were clearly two combats. Based on the bodies found and not found, the spent shells on the transport boat and the lack of shells on the second, we feel confident that the second boat apparently met to parley the transport first. The transport had dropped an anchor and there were rope fragments on deck. This suggests that the boats met to parley or transfer troops peacefully. There is ample evidence in the form of spent casings and spent CS canisters, however, that the troops on the second boat carried out a surprise attack and were victorious. All military forces on the Transport were killed. The female F.E.M.s that were being transported were taken, alive we believe.

The second boat then after, capturing the women, turned around and started proceeding back towards base but was attacked and slaughtered to a man by a force who didn’t use firearms. Furthermore, the attack was so swiftly lethal that there were no spent casings on board. This suggests that they were taken down too quickly for the rogue troops to even bring their weapons to bare!

Finally, the troops of the second boat show they had been posted at the base. This means that these troops had gone rogue or had acted under clandestine orders. At this point we’ve found no evidence say which is the case.”

“Hold a second Tom, F.E.M.?”, David cut in confused.

“Oh,” The Lieutenant, chuckled and continued letting his New York ‘hood’ accent rise, “Freak-Eyed Mutha’s. They are ruled by women after all...”

David’s eyes widened at this and chuckled a bit, “I’d not noise that around where they might hear, Lieutenant, they might not find it as funny.”

With a broad grin Tom snapped back, “Sir! No Sir!”

Thankfully, while wet, the PT boat trip down to the base was uneventful. After another day David docked at the base and was ushered to the CP and brought to to the base commander. Seeing David led into his office, Macham stood and offered his hand in greeting. “Director Feber. I am the acting camp commander, Colonel Spiro Macham. I’ve been sent here to root out what happened. My orders suggest you’ve been sent her for diplomatic purposes and that you will have further clarifications with you?”

David nodded and handed him a packet of papers. The Colonel waved for him to sit and took his seat as well as he quickly perused the bundle. After several minutes Spiro looked up from the paperwork and commented, “Soooo. This base is to assume more of an ambassadorial flavor while the more aggressive military aspects are to withdraw to Base Baker?” David nodded.

He replied, “It seems apparent that an obviously militaristic stance hasn’t achieved a great deal. The president feels a more gloved presentation might achieve more. In the next days I want us to present much less aggressively. The engagement on the river suggests strongly that these Tarneerans make Seal Team Six look like kindergarten bullies. Their suggested stealth and lethality makes me think that if they were to attack, this base would be suppressed in short order. Should that happen, we need a sufficient force nearby to have time to prepare to respond effectively.”

“Sacrificial lambs, eh?” Spiro commented cynically.

“And was the American embassy in Russia during the height of the Cold War much different? What about our newly staffed embassy in Beijing? Reports are that the situation is quite volatile there due to the changes the Fallen elite are trying to impose. I’m afraid this potential is just part of diplomacy,” David responded.

After the greetings, Spiro and David ironed out the plans and began to implement them. The troops on base handled these orders in typical army fashion: efficiently, while grumbling about civilians never knowing what they were doing. By the end of the next day, the staff on base had been greatly reduced as a majority of the full battalion withdrew, leaving a strong company, comprised of, including support staff, approximately 200 men. The heaviest weapons were also withdrawn.

“Mother? The humans seem to have finished their manpower changes. The humans have gone from close to 1000 soldiers to just 200. The majority have retreated to the new base fifteen miles farther away. While the weaponry still at the local base has been greatly reduced in apparent strength, the second base has finished its construction of strange boxy machines that hold great spear like devices.”, reported Nebira, Anarra’s second in strategy. “We have also confirmed that one of the human representatives, Mr. Feber, that you spoke with using their wondrous ‘remote communication screen’ is now at the local base and is seemingly in command!”

Anarra turned with interest to Nebira, “Director Feber? Now that is interesting. It would seem that the humans are finally interested in truly speaking with us!” She pondered a moment and then continued, “See if you can find Lady Adrasteia and the arrange for a proper council with my fellow Mothers.”
“Yes Mother.”, Nebira said as she prepared to leave, but before she could Anarra quickly reached out and pulled the woman close to plant a quick kiss on her cheek.

“Thank you my friend” Anarra said with warmth. Nebira, smiled with the deep friendship and even love they’d shared for years. She then quickly left to her duties.

‘At last. We will begin to see the real truth of the humans. Now my sisters will learn whether I or Kadrapraba is correct in our thoughts...’ Anarra thought to herself with equal parts dread and excitement.

When night had fallen and at Anarra’s request Anarra, Kadrapraba, Darsaltheer, Adrasteia, Turi, Charu and finally Nirmuktha, Darsaltheer’s lieutenant had all gathered after dinner to enjoy some wine as they sat down to discuss the past day’s developments. Anarra began. “As you all must be aware, the humans over at the human fort have been very active over the last few days. You cannot have missed their use of their strange flying vessels, Hekktoppers - “

“You mean helicopters!” corrected Adrasteia with a chuckle.

“Yes, h- helocoppters,” Anarra acknowledged with a blush. “With these amazing tools they have dramatically changed the population and armament of the fort. My Mistress of strategy tells me that if you disregard non-combatants, there are now significantly less than 200 guards remaining. The others are dedicated to non-combat duties: Food preparation, medicine, general fort support, and manning the flying devices that watch us from above and a small cadre of seeming non-military. These non-combatants are now seemingly in command of the soldiers.

Those in the room commented on these adjustments with the consensus clearly being that they had been quite shocked by the event on the river. The humans must have come to the conclusion that having a large military force so close must be unacceptably raising tensions. There was also likely concerned about their loss of control of the attacking troops. Clearly they’d decided to change tactics. Anarra affirmed that was her conclusion as well considering that one of the equivalents to a Mother had been brought here. A male named David Feber.

“David’s here!?!?” Adrasteia exclaimed with astonished excitement, “I’ve met him! He’s a man of very strong character who has always dealt with me fairly.” She looked at the gathered Mothers, “If he is here to talk with you, I feel this is a real overture to you all. He never lied to me and tried very hard to deal with me honestly, sometimes against opposition from other areas of the government. The fact that he is here strongly suggests that the President, the “High Mother” as it were of, the U.S. is directly involved now!”

All eyes in the room locked onto her. It was Anarra who spoke first, “You’ve met this man?” Adrasteia replied that she had and had even met with him when he was alone and unprepared! She’d been quite impressed by his strength and steadiness at a time when many might have panicked.

This, of course, demanded explanations, and Adrasteia found herself relating how she’d in an effort to meet government reps safely had snuck past security by flying to and sneaking into his room.

There were waves of disbelief from Kadrapraba and Darsaltheer at the described image of Adrasteia flying to a floor over 100 feet off the ground. It was a very difficult thing to credit, even when they been given reports of her levitating above the castle, and being told she’d done it before had pushed their credibility.

Frowning back at the two Adrasteia finished, “You don’t believe me. You think I’m lying to you? Where do - “ she stopped when the cause of their doubt must spring came to mind. With a huff of irritation she turned and slowly and deliberately stalked to the balcony of the room they were in. Stepping out she called out to them to follow. When all were were on the balcony she stepped onto the wide stone rail and beaconed to Carol with her hand.

With eyes widening Carol said in a full whine, “Oh come on! You know I hate this!”

Adrasteia just smiled love with a side of evil, “Come on you baby, you know I have you.” With a groan Carol joined her and tightly clasped her hand. Once firmly in hand, Adrasteia began speaking very low, so that the women who followed her had to cluster more closely to her, “I promise you that every story I’ve told you was true. I tried quite hard to not let myself be drawn into making things more dramatic than they were. Still you doubt? Very well...” With that she and Carol began silently to rise until, accompanied by exclamations they floated so that their heels were a foot above the tallest woman. As their necks strained upwards to keep Adrasteia’s eyes she looked down on all of the imperiously. With a strong tone that mirrored the annoyance they felt from her, “NOW, you can see I do not lie! The American government doubted my word as well! Do you also want to join them in my eyes?!?” The women nervously began to turn to look at one another, but before the could but begin to look away she barked angrily, “LOOK AT ME WHEN I SPEAK!”

Eyes and full attentions snapped back and focused again on Adrasteia. As she continued her rant Anarra and a few others thought they could sense more that just the anger she felt. Could they also feel a dark humor creeping into her thoughts? Anarra cast a glance at Adrasteia’s partner and could see her biting her lips as she looked down at the others. There was fear. For some reason it had an almost familiar feel, like a fear one feels when listening to a favorite scary story; and growing strong beside it as well, that same dark humor!
“By all that is holy, you” pinning the two doubting Mothers explicitly with her glare, “I almost feel despair that in spite of your greater awareness, your people are little different humanity!” She cast her free hand in the air in frustration. As the Mothers and their lieutenants took umbrage at the comparison Adrasteia then drifted a couple of feet back and looked down and behind those she had railed against, “What do you think mother Aditi?” Almost as one the chastised women turned their heads to follow only to realize Aditi stood perhaps 50 feet beneath and fifteen feet behind them!

“HOW BY TARNA’S GLORY ARE YOU DOING THAT?!?!?” Aditi shouted as she stood leaning against her balcony rail, staring up in astonishment. Any response was drowned out by the shrieks of terror coming from the woman as they suddenly understood they were floating higher than the roof of the palace. At this point Carol couldn’t hold it any longer and began howling with laughter; Adrasteia suppressed her own laughter only with great effort. Even so she gifted them all with an almost cruel smile.

Then the smile faded into a slightly guilty one as the measure of panic the women were evincing became apparent to her. She called out to them verbally and with a wave of confident calmness as she smoothly lowered them to Aditi’s balcony. Carol, for her part however, continued chortling now that she finally had company in experiencing being floated without warning.

Once on firm ground the group of women exploded into a wide variety of emotions: anger, relief, remembered fear, amazement, even thrilled excitement. It took a while for them to coherently turn to Adrasteia to demand to know what and why she’d done what she’d done. Her only explanation was that they believed her now, didn’t they? The woman then retreated into another room to discuss things amongst themselves. Temporarily left to themselves, Adrasteia drew Carol into a hug and kissed her on the cheek, “Thanks, love for going along. Their judgmental attitude was really wearing on me.” Carol chuckled again and assured her she had no problem.

As they leaned into each other, Aditi came up to them, almost jumping from the excitement of what she’d seen. “Tarna’s tits!” She whispered excitedly, “The stories I’ve heard were true! You really do possess Hanwa n’dmi me'a (telekinesis)! I absolutely MUST examine this, er you!”

Adrasteia laughed at the almost childlike excitement and promised that if she had time she would gladly show her more. Before Aditi could press for a specific time, however, the High Mothers returned with the complete conviction that Adrasteia deserved a place in their councils. After Adrasteia apologized for ‘startling’ them badly they even admitted that they likely had needed to be shaken out of their complacency.
The discussions then settled on their original target of concern: the humans. It was concluded that since the humans had made the decision to so dramatically change their physical presence, and had actually brought one of their leaders, that if they once again wanted to meet that they would allow it; in spite of Kadrapraba’s opposition. They all agreed, however, on who would meet the humans, even Kadrapraba. Anarra stepped forward, “Adrasteia, please be our initial representative? If, as you say, Feber is acting as the human leader, your experience with him would be invaluable!”

Adrasteia attempted to decline as she could not in good conscious speak solely on the Tarneeran behalf. While she looked like them and even had powers akin to theirs’, she was born and raised human. She also tasted something a little ‘off’ in the emotional soup she was surrounded in and it made her hesitant. They however, were adamant. Adrasteia should be the one to answer the expected call from Feber and so so with reservations, she agreed. She would promise to be as equitable and fair as she could but no more. The Mothers looked at each other and seemed pleased, even if Kadrapraba’s was more grudging.

“So I guess we wait for them to make the first move.” Adrasteia said with resignation...

“So you are clear on your orders Captain?” David asked.
Captain Rebecca Tabin responded crisply, “Yes sir! I am to proceed with only one guard, a male, to the barrier entrance we’ve seen them use before and simply wait. I will not leave the entrance except to tend to personal needs. When I am tired I will simply avail myself of the camp we will erect. I will wait until they choose to respond.

If they do come to the entrance portal I will request a direct meeting between you and those in authority at an acceptable site outside the dome. Upon receiving the response I will return and report.”

“Excellent!” David said, “I have every confidence in you. I want you to be aware, however, this assignment may be more complicated than you might expect. Remember This is a different species than ours and we cannot confidently predict how they might respond; especially considering the violence on the river.”

“Yes sir, when I received my orders yesterday I spent much of the night wondering if they might hold a grudge about that. Frankly, had difficulty sleeping. I feel a little bit like a sitting duck sir.”

David, chuckled ruefully, “I sympathize captain. I hope you trust that is why I designed the order as I did: As purposeful but non-confrontational as I could make it. There is a risk, but I am not casually throwing you to the wolves.”

Rebecca thanked him and was excused to start the mission. Within a couple of hours she and the buff and ruggedly handsome corporal walked up to the location that been used in the past as the entrance into the Tarneeran realm. She set the corporal to begin setting up their camp and she walked cautiously up to the invisible barrier. As she approached she began to see where the barrier forced separations in the undergrowth and the trees themselves. She was new here so she’d not seen previously how when this strange force bubble and come into being it had sheared through anything that had been crossing it. As a result on the ground were great tree branches that had been cut and that had fallen to the jungle floor. Glancing at a close branch she could see no evidence of a saw-like abrasion, it simply stopped. I was as if an infinitely sharp force had simply ended the branch.

Rebecca gulped and continued carefully with her hand waving until, on a backstroke, the back of her hand bounced against the barrier. Starting a little, she stopped and tried to focus and perhaps see something. Unfortunately it remained completely unseen. Knowing there was little else she could do, she took hold of herself and simply stood on ones side looking into the jungle beyond.

Time passed. “‘Join up’ my dad said, ‘See a world of adventure!’ He said. You know mam?” the corporal said casually throwing one of the small cut branches to the side, “He didn’t say ‘Make a camp and be bored.’ We’ve sure pulled a great duty mam!”

Rebecca was coming to sympathize with her subordinate. They’d been here two full days without seeing anyone at all. Their troops were on strict orders to not come near and they’d only seen a small monkey watching them occasionally beyond the barrier. “I hear you corporal; it’s certainly beginning to feel like a waste of time. But we have our orders. We need to stay here until relieved. I know it’s b-” she broke off as she heard something disturbing some undergrowth inside the barrier. Quickly she turned to look. For the first time she watched as a female Tarneeran slipped into view.

Rebecca stood initially in shock as this woman with inhumanly slanted eyes, wearing a simple but full length gown of emerald looked her up and down as if measuring her. The shear presence she felt exuding from this alien made her feel as if she stood before a great predator and her rehearsed speeches all fled and she stood frozen like a rabbit. Then without saying a word the woman simply turned and melted into the brush again and was gone.

For a moment neither Rebecca nor the corporal moved. Then Rebecca slowly called out in a quavering voice that quickly morphed in to worried excitement, “Billlll?? Bill!” she spun to look at the corporal who had been frozen in shock as well, “Get me the radio, now!”

David was standing outside, but in the camp as he, colonel Macham, an officer of the diplomatic branch and a captain of the Corp of Engineers brainstormed about what to do with the camp. While they had already cleared a number of the canopy trees that had once occupied the camp area, there were several more that remained. The captain was arguing that based on their reduced numbers leaving them posed a serious threat as they reduced fields of fire. The diplomat was arguing that destroying them might send the wrong signal. They were trying to reach out in friendship, after all. As David listened to the two argue, he glanced at Spiro, “Is it always like this between your branches?”

The colonel simply nodded with some irony as he watched them.

Then a low and husky female voice behind them offered, “They are bickering like two old women aren’t they?”

Dave and Spiro whirled to see a woman stepping into view from behind one of the standing tree’s monstrous supporting roots. David immediately recognized the strange and feral beauty from the memorial ceremony in Albequerque who’d hovered over Asha’s supine body. He also noticed that she’d changed even more! While she retained her talons and the irises of her eyes remained red, the ivory white skin now had taken on the faintest blush of green.

Spiro muttered an exclamation of alarm and would have reached for his sidearm if not for David’s quick reaction of gesturing “No!” Near Spiro’s holster.

The almost supernatural looking woman noted the colonel’s reflexive move and quirked her head. She could feel a dimly remembered urge to reach out and rend the threat flare up and her eyes lost the humor they’d originally held. She turned her attention to the colonel a moment and Spiro realized he’d just attracted the irritated attention of something he could sense was a more dangerous predator than anything he’d encountered before in his life. He obeyed Feber’s gesture and froze. Feber also noted in passing that the bickering behind them had stopped.

The woman then looked at David again and continued more coldly, “You knocked?” She paused briefly and before David could respond continued with, “My Lady asked me to tell you this is at least more polite than your people’s behavior on the river! Have you found out who ordered the attack yet?”

David looked uncomfortable and replied, “No we haven’t. Who ever is responsible has covered their tracks well.” He pulled himself up and continued, “We haven’t stopped looking and will not. I CAN assure you that the attack was not at the behest of the president. President Thurman and by extension the US government desires only to have peaceful co-existence, even someday, friendship!”

“I see...” the woman responded. She then leaned to the side to look at the two had been bickering and focused on the engineer, “I would follow the commandant’s example dear, and stop pulling the pistol. The last time people pulled guns on me I, even blind and disoriented by gas, slaughtered at least a half dozen seasoned soldiers.” She smiled and showed razor sharp teeth like out of a Grimm’s fairytale, “I’m not blind now.”

“Hands away from your firearm soldier!” the colonel barked. The captain, blanching at the teeth and almost an anticipatory gleam in the woman’s eyes had already pulled his hands away from his sides and raised them up in surrender.

Making almost a moue of disappointment Carol calmed her expression and focused on David again. “Ok, Mr. Feber, Now that you are local, you must want to speak to the Mothers. Considering tensions where do you want to meet?”

A bit off balance from this woman’s mercurial nature, he forced himself to break into a mild chuckling which had his 3 companions looking at him as if he’d lost his mind, “I think you’ve been with Lady Asha too much. She likes to keep me mentally scrambling as well!”

Carol heard the explanation of the chuckling and started giggling in response, “I know right?!? My little goddess does it to everyone. She is called Adrasteia’s not Asha, by the way...”
Eyes widening at the endearment, “You’re her partner?”
“Tarneerans call us ‘Bondmates’. Much more than just partners.” she quickly replied.

“And she let you come alone?” David asked amazed.
A ghostly voice replied that none the less all heard with perfect clarity, “Oh she’s not alone David.” All there save Carol whirled about in distress to find the source without success. Carol, at this began giggling again with a slightly dark, even cruel cast to her eyes.

When she calmed down she held out her hand and said, “I’m certain you already considered this and I assume the meeting place is not within the dome or your camp. Do you have a map?”

“I will have one delivered to Captain Tabin, the officer at the barrier entrance within the hour.” David quickly replied.

Carol nodded and stepped back to the monstrous root again and caressing said, “Until we next meet then?” When he nodded she turned and seemed to walk into the tree root and was gone. Her passing accompanied by another shocked exclamation..

“You know dear, traveling like that probably wasn’t the best thing, now they’ll realize you can sort of teleport.” Jill said as she enfolded her bondmate in her arms. “It was funny though!”

“Thanks, I thought so.” Carol replied as her face was happily muzzled by Jill’s breasts. She then stilled and pulled back and gazed into her lovers eyes with troubled ones. “Jill? I felt things strongly today I don’t clearly remember feeling before, except in dreams. They. They scared me a little. But another part of me reveled in them!”

Feeling Carol’s concern Jill asked her to try to relive it. When Carol called up her memories at the meeting and the savage and violent urges she’d felt Jill followed along. Then she ever so gently followed them to their source. What she saw shocked and amazed her. Buried within Carol’s psyche was another, weaker, but mostly formed personality. A baser more instinctual one. As Jill felt it, she came to a startling conclusion.

Jill kissed Carol very tenderly and explained what she’d seen, “Carol honey, I think I know what’s going on. You remember when we were Elsewhere in our made home? Well you know they told us that while I was in a coma, something of you remained behind? I think what was created or grew in your absence is where those savage feelings are coming from! I think that part of you that remained was sort of like your more animal nature. It was forced to grow stronger to be able to make you even a little functional.

I remember that Itimori described you as a barely verbal and animalistic person whose sole thought was to protect me. I think that now that your true mind is back the animalistic one is slowly reintegrating.”

“So my Hyde is making friends with my Miss Jeckle again?” Carol asked.

Jill nodded, “Yes I think that is exactly what is happening.” She grinned and pinched one of Carol’s butt cheeks. This resulted in a small yelp that was immediately followed by an aroused growl. “See?” she said as Carol’s eyes became hooded with arousal and she pressed more provocatively into Jill. “You are certainly more passionate than before! You’ve caused some serious loss of sleep since we returned!”

In a throaty tone Carol asked, “Are you complaining my little goddess?”, as she drew her lover into a deep and hungry kiss.
When the finally broke apart, Jill responded in a breathy aroused voice herself, “Not even a little, my heart, but perhaps this isn’t the time? Now that the meeting map has arrived, the servants will doubtlessly call us to meet with the mothers shortly for the first meeting tomorrow. Once we’re done, I’ll pay the bill I just started, I promise!”

Carol responded with deep growling laugh that made Jill shiver, “I’ll be sure to collect!”

Quite flustered, Adrasteia and Carol did their best to calm themselves and joined the Mothers’ council. After several more hours, she had some ideas and interests and concerns that she would begin to put on the table when possible. Their first and most important desire was to work out clear rules and expectations. They wanted Adrasteia to clearly communicate that Tarneerans wanted peace between them but wanted at first to restrict contact. With the initial instructions imparted, Adrasteia and Carol were released and they retired for the evening.

Feber stared blearily at his third coffee of the day. After the initial meeting with Adrasteia’s ‘bondmate’ he’d noticed almost a sense of dread come over the whole camp. This planned meeting shouldn’t have been cause for misgivings, quite the opposite, but a sense of impending disaster and doom had begun to take hold of all in the camp. This nameless dread slowly grew as the evening progressed and it was apparent that few in the camp had had easy beds. David called the diplomatic officer into his office as he felt he was a rookie at international diplomacy and needed honest advice. The officer was a little surprised at the admission, so informed him that under most circumstances similar to this one, they would need to set meeting ground rules. David had irritably waved that part asking what the ultimate goal was. The diplomat had looked concerned and had said his briefing was as follows:

1. That the river incident be forgiven so that the possibility of conflict be reduced.
2. A better awareness of the Tarneeran mental abilities be made known.
3. Tentative trade negotiations should scheduled.
4. The establishment of some level of rapport with their leadership.
5. Explain that other world powers may try to influence or attack the Tarneerans as they become aware? While unlikely, begin to discern any weaknesses, perhaps to offer some protection.

With these official instructions he did his best to quell his fears, even as he could feel the sense of doom in the back of his mind. He called Spiro and they assembled the contact team. It would consist of David, the chief diplomatic officer, one of their language experts to offer what ability to translate overheard conversations in their languages and six honor guards. Once together they made for the meeting site.

The site they entered was a moderately large space devoid of canopy trees, mostly due to the unusually rocky terrain. That is not to say it was barren. Lush undergrowth crowded all but a 50 ft. area which the Tarneerans had apparently cleared in the night. While needed, it left Feber’s group feeling decidedly exposed and vulnerable. This exposure only seemed to add to the sense of a disaster waiting to happen. As a result his honor guard was visibly jumpy. His own nerves meant his efforts to put his men at ease were largely wasted. It was after a little less than an hour that he and his men spied six male Tarneeran soldiers melt out of the jungle and Make their way to the cleared circle. As they entered an arranged themselves in an arch curving towards Feber he could see that all were clothed in fabrics of green and brown and were armed with the strange spears that they’d seen before.

“Must be their ‘camos’” one soldier muttered.

Feber grunted at hearing that but didn’t respond. Instead, he called out a greeting. The center most soldier simply shook his head negatively and responded in Tarneeran. Hearing this David’s interpreter stepped closer and spoke, “He said he doesn’t speak English.”

David sighed and nodded. “I guess we wait then until their VIPs arrive.”

Five minutes later Lady Adrasteia floated out of the jungle and into view. As she moved David all in the clearing watched her float, clearly several feet off the ground since the considerable undergrowth only reached her knees, while five or six diamond plates of some type of metal floated lazily around her. Once again she was attired in a crimson gown that shimmered slightly in the the sun. She did not have the bracers he’d seen before as they were in storage back in Albuquerque, but she did have other jewelry and a headband to keep her hair under some control. She had very skillfully applied makeup (done by someone skilled in enhancing her alien facial structure. The effect was truly stunning. It took what to David one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen in his life and raised her features almost into the realm of the supernatural. She’d become enormously intimidating just from her appearance alone, even to her own soldiers who looked at her with eyes wide. She, after glancing down at her men, then drifted to the center most area and waited as she lowered herself almost to the ground.

Trying to master his already shaken nerves, David swallowed and stepped forward to greet her. “You truly have mastered making an entrance, my Lady!” said in an attempt to lesson the tension.

Adrasteia’s eyes twinkled with secret humor that she let David feel before she suppressed it. Very quietly, “All politics is at least some theater isn’t it?” Then with a louder voice and a colder visage she continued, “On behalf of the Tarneeran people I greet you, David Feber. We are pleased your nation has decided to approach us to truly talk! I assume you are acting as a representative who is properly empowered?”

“Yes your highness, I am the spokesman for the government of the United States. As we begin I’d like to assure you in most my most heartfelt way that my leadership had absolutely nothing to do with the river attack. We have, as yet, not found even tentative evidence linking those actions with anyone in high positions.”

Adrasteia, opened her senses and looked closer at David then to his men. She could see that her “entrance.” Had certainly had an effect as her display had certainly amazed, even terrified them all. ‘Wait, terrified?’ she puzzled. Even David was fighting down a sense of panic! Adrasteia’s previous experiences with David even when she surprised him in his hotel room never felt him so on edge.

Wondering, she glanced more closely at his advisors and honor guard. They ALL were strung tighter than guitar strings! Were they planning something? No. She couldn’t believe that David would voluntarily be a part of yet another attempt on her; that went against everything she’d come to know of his character. If that were the case he’d also be broadcasting personal conflicts and guilt. ‘What is going on?!?’ “David, may I speak with you more intimately than on this public stage?”

David gave her a confused look, “Intimately? I don’t understand.”

“I picked up a new trick recently. It will allow us to ‘speak’ more deeply than you can imagine. No lies will be possible.” Her eyes softened with earnestly caring gaze, “It will do you no harm, but may be shocking...”

David looked at Lady Adrasteia and could see and “feel” her honesty. Even so, it was with a feeling that he was voluntarily laying down on a sacrificial alter that he, steeling himself, nodded.

Adrasteia smiled reassuringly and quickly focused her thoughts at her lover, ‘My love? Can you come by and make sure we’re safe and sound? David Feber is going to let me draw him into my mind so we can talk properly. We should be fine, but his people are antsy. Try to keep things under control on both sides okay? If things start to spiral, let me know immediately!’ She felt Carol’s affirmation and suddenly felt her silently come into the clearing.

As Carol entered she felt the human soldiers’ stress shoot up. “David, assure your men that everything is alright! My mate is just making certain we will be comfortable while we talk. We don’t want any mistakes!”

David could see the visible tension in his people and called out for his men to stay calm and that he’d met the green woman before peacefully. He could see his men weren’t convinced but they restrained themselves. He then turned to Lady Adrasteia and said, “I guess we should get started with this ‘private talk’ then!”

She smiled again and gently reached up to cup his face with one hand. As she touched him David visibly tensed and his vision whited out for a second. Then suddenly he was standing in a beautifully peaceful grove in some forest far from the Amazon! He looked around in amazement at the dense forest of fir and pine that surrounded him. This location seemed virginal; untouched by any sign of humanity. “Where in the world!?!? How did I get here?”

He heard a rich chuckling behind him and he whirled around to see Adrasteia only a few feet away. “Do you like it?” she asked with a look of almost child-like pleasure. “I made this look like a little slice of my home away from home.”

“You, you made this place!?” David asked with fearful incredulity.

“Oh we aren’t in the ‘real’ world right now; we’re in a safe pocket of my mind right now. I modeled it after the home I did create while my mind was away from my body and outside your reality.”

“You created a place!?” David asked in a strangled voice, “Outside my reality?” David reeled from Adrasteia’s statements. “Wait, my reality? What others are there? Isn’t it yours as well?!?!?”

Adrasteia’s eyes lit from within and became almost portals of starlight, “I don’t think so, not anymore. The past weeks I think I’ve been growing and changing David.” With a gentle smile she continued, “Did you like watching Star Trek as a kid David? Did you watch the original sixty vintage series?” Rather at sea with this non-sequitur question he simply nodded. Noting the response she continued, “Do you remember the episode where two of Kirk’s crew get hit with an unknown energy and begin developing almost godlike powers? Well over the last weeks while I was in the coma my mind and spirit was outside the reality you understand. It was beyond anything I could explain to you. It changed me...” Her glowing eyes took on a rapt look and she almost dreamily described a wondrous place that was unformed, but filled with limitless power and potential. She related how wonderful it felt to play in that realm like an otter; carefree and joyful. She then grounded herself, focused back on David and giggled, “I just like to think I’m the good silver-eyed woman in the Star Trek episode!”

Hearing Adrasteia’s confession, David looked at Adrasteia with the terror rising in his mind. His fear of the disaster he’d felt weighing on him blossomed beyond rational control. Staggering back in a first step to flee mindlessly he exclaimed, “Oh God no! If all Tarneerans are like you!...”

Adrasteia felt waves of unreasoning fear rolling off David and was stunned. This reaction was so unlike what she had felt previously from him she couldn’t understand it. Why was he flipping out?!? Was he sick? Drugged?

Adrasteia focused directly and deeply on David. She reached out gently and touched his mind and felt waves of fear in his psyche. It clung to his mind like acidic mud that had been poured into him, clinging to what were normal concerns and insecurities; irritating, inflaming, and transforming them into monstrous fears.
‘It’s not natural,’ she realized with shock, ‘his mind has been tampered with!’

If his had been, how many of the others had been as well?!? She mentally stepped back from David and raised her hands in a surrendering motion, giving him space from her in this mental forest. As she did, she cast her thoughts to Carol, ‘Carol! I’ve just found that someone has tried to tamper with David’s mind! I’m afraid that others might have been affected as well. Remember when the Mothers tried to put you down when we first arrived? Someone has done something along those lines here! Be aware that the soldiers may not act rationally. Someone has put a whammy of fear on them?..’

Carol immediately responded, ‘Funny you should mention that. They didn’t appreciate you taking David on a mental walk-about! I think they are about to pull on us and you!’

‘Oh damn!’ Adrasteia thought. She decided to try to alert all her Tarneeran guard. As she had done like when she looked at others from the pool, she made her voice heard quietly but clearly to the males, “Be prepared! The humans have been mentally tampered with and injured. They may explode into violence. At clear evidence of this happening I want you to put them down quickly but with the least injury possible. Subdue, do NOT KILL them!” She felt them acknowledging her command with even more surprise.

She then turned back to David. Seeing him desperately looking around himself in this impossible landscape. With only Adrasteia as a terrifying locus she could feel his terror and need to fight his situation rising. In his eyes she was spiraling into a horrifying a demonic creature and if she didn’t stop the cycle she feared his mind might break. She needed to cut him off from the damaging tampering, but until the spiral of fear and rage gained an outlet, anything she tried would only feed it. She needed to offer him the release.

David looked everywhere for escape but, seeing this impossible forest, knew there was none. There was only him and this unnatural otherworldly being with glowing eyes. He knew that his only hope was to stop her. Oh she looked like she was saddened by him, but he just knew this was mockery! He had to stop her! Then he remembered his machete clipped to his side! He reached down and wrenched it free. He COULD stop her! Kill her! KILL!

David gave an animalistic howl and lunged towards her. He raised the machete and with both hands brought it down on her shoulder and neck. He felt it bite deeply, breaking bone as it drove into her torso. Blood splattered and Adrasteia made a strangled gasp as her legs went out from under her. David watched her in savage triumph as she fell. Then she lay on the ground with a sad and reproachful gaze, as her eyes dimmed and lost their glow.

‘I’ve actually done it! I’ve slain the demon! I’ve.. Killed... her.’ Then the deed actually became clear to him. With horror and guilt, he looked down at the mauled form he’d savaged and despaired of the madness that had seized him. He’d wantonly and mindlessly slaughtered this woman who had almost always gone out of her way to avoid harming others! He’d killed her and assuredly killed any chance for peace.
With the awful understanding of his guilt he fell to his knees by the body and said brokenly, “Oh god, I’ve killed you. I don’t know what happened! I’m so sorry!” Tears fell from his eyes and he openly wept. It was some time before he began to notice a slowly growing clarity of thought and lightness of mind. It was as if the feelings of oppression and doom were lifting and he could now see how his world had been increasingly distorted by it. Sadly it made his actions all the more insane and non-sensical.

Standing from behind a voice that should no longer exist said gently with affection, “Well I’m glad you regret your tantrum there David!”

David made a startled exclamation and spun to see Adrasteia looking at him with a gentle smile and saddened eyes. He could feel her affection and a sense of regret. Sputtering he began, “How?!? But I killed!” He quickly glanced back to where the body had been to find nothing. “How are you alive?!?!?”

She told him, “Remember I told you this is a safe place in my mind. Everything you see, feel, and hear is at my control. When I first brought you here, I discovered that someone had tampered with your mind. It was driving you to a type of madness that would cause you to attack me. So I let you! Afterwards you let your guard down and I could begin to heal the harm that had been done to you. You feel more rational now don’t you?”

Eyes wide at this strange admission of misdirection, he considered and realized that she’d told the truth! He did feel more like himself. He thought it through and said, “So I was influenced somehow and turned into a time bomb set to attack you?” She nodded. “I’m guessing while my programming was operating you had trouble healing me so you encouraged it to run its course. That’s why I suddenly had a machete! At the time it never occurred to me that the weapon’s presence didn’t make sense; it was just something I needed to be able to strike at you with. I needed it, so you gave it to me.” He looked at her pained compassion and continued with wonder, “You gave it to me and let my madness think it killed you.” Adrasteia nodded solemnly.

David once again felt a rise in the gratitude for this woman’s willingness to help, but once again accompanied with fear. Fear this time, however, that the mental powers that these Tarneerans had could so stealthily manipulate him. Clearly they had without his knowledge manipulated him; driven him to murder! How were humans to combat this? He made to ask about this, but before he could Adrasteia cried out and stumbled. She crouched as if in pain and clutched both her shoulder and side. With considerable effort she straightened and pulled her hands away to stare at the blood now coating them.

In a strained voice she said, “It. It appears that you weren’t the only one primed to attack.” She looked at David in pain, but no panic. “I think my body was just raked by rifle fire.”

David rushed forward to offer help and cried out, “Oh my God! Where? Is it vital?!? We need to get a medic to you!”

She grimaced but shook her head, “No need. It was just my chest and shoulder. I can deal with it.” With that David watched the two gun wounds in awe, one clearly in the lung and the other through the shoulder simply close and vanish! “Remember, all that I see here is mine to control. Shall we go back and see what additional mischief other’s have gotten into?” As she suggested this she called her full regalia into existence: Suddenly 20 or more diamond plate appeared as did the bracers, greaves, and chest armor he remembered from the memorial. Staring with his mouth working like a fish he weakly agreed. Seeing his agreement, Adrasteia nodded and suddenly they were both back in the sweltering heat and sun of the rainforest clearing.

Save for the sound of a single voice growling in rage and sorrow there was no sound; even the animal life had been silenced. David and Adrasteia looked around the clearing to see a single Tarneeran soldier holding his arm and the form of Carol crouched over a human soldier with her clawed hands buried in his abdomen.. The remainder of human soldiers were laying on the ground unconscious; having had the strange spears thrown at each. While it could be seen that the locations pierced weren’t vital (shoulders, thighs and the like) each human had apparently been rendered insensible by the taser-like capability of the spears.

An increasing number of the Tarneeran males were falling to their knees as they looked at Adrasteia, their eyes filling with awe as where once had knelt a clearly wounded woman, now floated a seeming goddess in full armor that had simply come into existence!

Adrasteia noted the unexpected reverence from the males, but her attention was focused on the snarling and whimpering form of her lover. Sensing that Carol had acted out her rage at seeing her mate shot, Adrasteia called gently and lovingly to her. In Tarneeran she said, “Calm my heart! I’m fine.”

Carol wheeled and shrieked as she rushed to clutch Adra in her arms responding in kind, “You’re alright?! I saw that bastard shoot you!” She pulled back to look at her shoulder, “There was blood pouring and your gown was shredded and... And. You’re not hurt anymore.... Where did the armor come from!? What’s going on?” This last offered in a plaintive tone.

Adrasteia lovingly enfolded Carol in her arms and bathed her in a flood of love. “I brought them back with me from David’s and my conversation.” Adra bent and kissed Carol with tenderness and pride. “I love you so much for protecting me.” She looked past Carol to the body of the human soldier, “I don’t blame you, but you really need to work on your level of response though...”

Outraged, Carol immediately barked back, “If they’d badly hurt or killed you I would have slaughtered every one of them! In fact I wouldn’t have left one soldier alive in the Amazon basin.”

Jill nodded at her love and agreed, “You would, wouldn't you? You know, neither would I if you had been hurt.” Her expression took on a calculating look, “In fact I suspect that was the idea!”

“What?”

“Carol, someone has been mentally manipulating the humans.”. Adrasteia stated, “David was filled with a paranoid but nameless terror that drove him to attack me. I’ll wager a day’s pay that many if not all these men where affected the same way... I suspect that Kadrapraba or her people are trying to torpedo relations.”

Agreement growing in Carol, she responded, “She and hers have been systematically opposing the opening of relations. You’ve also become an obstacle in her mind as well. Having human soldiers attack and possibly kill you would achieve both her aims: eliminating you as opposition and turning Tarneerans against humans! How do we prove it though?”

Adrasteia just chuckled darkly, “We just have to ask her...”