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i.
Julianna had hated school. The life of a travelling army brat, she found, was never that conducive to making friends. She never remembered all the names of the kids who so easily shunned her from their games and birthday parties, but then (she was sure) they didn’t remember her either. Trying to forget made it that much easier.
What she did remember though, was the looks, the hushed whispers darting about at lunch. The girls were worse.
"Where’s your dad Julianna?"
This was Boston (or was it Florida?). A tall girl, her face sharp and unfortunately beautiful, her gaggle of hanger-ons following her wherever she went
"Oh right, you don’t have one, he didn’t like you either huh?".
She certainly couldn’t give them points for creativity, but she could give them a sudden blow from the palm of her hand, her wrist flying upwards to connect with the girls perfect nose. She does remember the crunch and the hot gush of blood running down, staining the girl's smile.
The memory seems real, but sometimes she’s unsure.
Regardless, it’s that hot feeling rising in her chest that greets her now as Aleksis walks the new hire into the hall of Dorsey Manor.
“Ladies” he starts before flashing a quick glance at Egor sulking in the corner (as always) “and gentlemen. This is Fia Zborowska. Truly in every sense of the word, a visionary”
The girl sharp and thin, her ripple of dark impossibly straight hair tied high on her head in a ponytail. Like a horse? Julianna thought.
“If we’re going to attract the best and brightest of this world to our cause we need to look the biggest, boldest and the fucking best. And sorry Wenjie, Egor you know I love you both but a shipping container out in the cliffs isn’t exactly the aesthetic I’m going for here."
"A beautiful island and some beautiful people here tonight, can you feel how excited I am for what we can do together?" Fia seemed on another planet, Julianna thought. Dorsey Manor wasn’t exactly Buckingham Palace.
"Isn’t that why we also have Frank? Where the hell has he been?" Julianna quipped back.
Aleksis shuffled his weight from foot to foot. She was used to not looking him in the eye because of that stupid wolf mask but even now he didn’t seem to want to meet her gaze.
"Frank’s out on a little recon for me. I wouldn't worry Julie. With Fia we make 6 if you include Harriet…"
"Who couldn’t even be bothered to make this meeting I might add" Wenjie objected.
"Yes, yes but we will deal with her once she’s finished… I don’t know, whatever she’s doing out in that hanger, but there’s still roles to be filled here- even if she wants to play the diva. By Wenjie’s estimates we’re approximately 2 years away from launch and we’re still a few set of hands short of fully realising what we want to do here. Fia take a seat."
As Aleksis continued babbling and Fia took her place next to Egor, Julianna leant back in her chair and sighed. It was going to be a long fucking 2 years.
ii.
“Well at least someone here has taste.”
Julianna looked up from her desk, the minicomputer chirping away with Wenjie's ramblings ("I think Egor's proximity to my lab is highly inappropriate, don't we have HR for this?"). Fia’s imposing figure leant against the door frame. She was much more casual than when she arrived at Dorsey Manor two weeks before, wearing a fitted white t-shirt tucked into impossibly tight leather trousers (don’t look). The hair was the same though. That goddamn ponytail.
"Aleksis’ palace not up to your standards?"
"He’s lurid don’t you think? The meat grinder's morbid - even for me. Far too on the nose for that wolf theme he seems to be doubling down on." Fia was still surveying Julianna's apartment and it made her feel suddenly naked and vulnerable against that dark gaze.
"He’s taking the lambs to the slaughter theme a little literally yes, a bit off putting but it’s Frank’s job to worry about recruitment, not me. Why are you here?" Julianna huffed.
Fia was taken aback with mock offence
"So rude Jules, I came to deliver the requested face time with your artist in residence. You called me here?"
Julianna remembered the questionnaire. Aleksis treating the Visionaries like pop stars, as if the shit faced Eternalists were chomping at the bit to read about them.
"Right, yes. You know most people just send me a minicom message?"
"And deprive you of seeing me in person? How could I. An artist’s presence is just as important as her art. My art is me, and I am it. So here I am." she twirled, showing herself off. Those pants really were tight.
A great ass isn’t exactly reason to call yourself a work of art. Stop looking at it Julianna.
Fia strutted to the armchair opposite the desk, completely unprompted.
"Shall we begin?"
-
Julianna knew from their brief encounters so far that Fia understood her narcotics. In fact, half the reason she had been brought here was to keep the rabid masses doped and happy. A few days prior she had caught a glimpse of the acrid, colour splashed drawings she had put together for a ‘Candy Shop’ in Updaam. The idea that a mind-fucking cocktail of drugs was called things like ‘Sour Strawberry’ or ‘Lemon Drops’ was corny as hell to Julianna, but seemed to make total sense coming from someone like Fia.
As a result however, you never could quite tell if the Fia you were speaking with was entirely present, or deep inside some sugar coated fog. Today though, seemed like the former (she thought...maybe?). The usual glazed gaze and slurred speech seemed sharper, Fia’s darkened eyes never leaving Julianna’s face as they worked through her questions.
"When did you realize you possess great vision?"
"Visions, Jules, visions" Fia spat back "Plural. And last night. And tomorrow. And every moment in between."
Julianna noticed she had made a habit of calling her Jules. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.
"Ok...sure. And what would you say is your greatest regret?"
Fia laughed, mocking and sharp edged.
"You cannot fool me, Jules! I read you between your lines. Tell them there’s one thing I always wanted to try, I just never had the courage. Let them wrangle and wring their unquiet minds over that!"
Julianna wanted to reach out and smack the smirk off Fia’s face. She put her notepad aside and leaned forward.
"You really just think everyone’s obsessed with you huh? Do you not topple over under the weight of that massive head?"
Fia’s smirk didn’t falter, although it started to seem more like a snarl.
"Oh Jules sweetheart, they are. No one is better than the pursuit of art and its pleasures, even you. Men and women beg to be near me just to feel what its like. Do you not wonder how I taste? Because they all do."
"You sound like Frank, fuck me."
"Only if you ask nicely."
Julianna sneered. She looked out the window, towards the reef. The skeletal beginnings of the loop stabliser visible over the horizon. She wondered what Wenjie was doing, it must be more fun than this. Jesus, she’d take an evening in Egor’s trailer over this.
"I think we’re done for now, thank you Fia."
Fia seemed unaffected by her obvious change in tone. She rose from the chair and stretched her long arms over her head and yawned. Julianna turned away from the sight of the toned stomach that appeared as Fia's shirt rode up.
"Yellow really suits you, I meant it when I said you had great taste."
Fia gestured a painted fingernail towards Julianna’s shirt. With that, she started to make her way towards the door, only to stumble slightly. Julianna heard a low gasp as Fia hunched over, hands on knees.
"You alright?"
"Yeah...shit. It’s these Beetles I’m testing. Those little blue bastards sure like to hit it and quit it."
Julianna had moved at pace to her side, gingerly placing a hand on her back, Fia’s skin like a furnace under her touch.
"You should be careful with that crap. We’re still months away from immortality we don’t want you kicking the bucket in a pool of blue vomit anytime soon."
This elicited a laugh from Fia, more genuine this time. "You should come down and see me sometime, try something out. You could do with some loosening up, or do you enjoy having that pole up your ass?"
"Fuck off Fia" Julianna shot back, but the edge in her voice had dissipated.
"I mean it. If you’re ready to embrace it, come see me. Fia and Frank’s fun-time Fristad fortress...hey, that’s poetic I guess.’
Fia seemed tired now, but she mustered her energy and left Julianna alone, the last of Blackreef’s light slowly seeping from the day.
iii.
The Visionaries were all rich fucks, Julianna knew that. She was perhaps the only one set to not to inherit half a country. She had seen the extent to which Aleksis had been decorating that huge manor in Updaam (what the fuck was chocolate beer anyway and did he really need a whole brewery for it?). Julianna liked much simpler things than that. She loved to read , she loved to write. That’s why she was here after all. She loved the way Blackreef looked at sunset from her office and the way words could help her convey they sting in her chest when she looked out at it for too long. She loved music, like Frank. And yes, as much as she hated to prove Fia right– she loved art. Was that a crime?
She hadn’t yet made it to Fristad. She had heard Fia had decided to make home in the old nuclear reactor. A concrete canvas, she had said. Julianna could think of nothing worse than being inside a dark, cavernous microwave. If Fia was happy cooking herself like a rotisserie chicken she was welcome to, Julianna was staying clear. She did however, enjoy seeing what was becoming of Karl’s Bay. The old fishing harbour was a graveyard of planes and warehouses and it was on a bright early morning, her hands full of ammunition paperwork for Harriet, that the archivist found herself distracted by a loud flash of light and sound from within an old fishing cannery.
Following the commotion, she found Fia and a gaggle of her confused looking followers, standing round a stack of TV’s, static and smoke pouring from one of the larger ones.
"Jesus Fia, how many Eternalists does it take to fix a television?"
Fia’s head swung round to meet her gaze. Is that a smile?
"Jules! Thank god, these idiots are making this installation a nightmare, isn’t there anyone else on this god-forsaken rock who understands the urgency of the vision I’m creating here??"
The Eternalists looked forlorn. Julianna reached out and guided Fia outside, into the bitter frost of the morning, her impeccable pea coat drawn up around her neck. Julianna reached into her pocket and pulled out the pack of cigarettes she had been nursing that morning and offered Fia one. She could feel the cold biting at her fingers as the taller girl leaned in to light it off hers. The smell of herbal smoke mixed in with something metallic and fiery – like brimstone.
"You know its funny you mention it. As it turns out, Frank’s found number 7 - another artist. Well, I hear he’s actually a huge fucking nerd but he’s going to be heading up entertainment. You should talk to him before Aleksis has him crafting some bullshit party game at his mansion."
"Another man? I was beginning to enjoy the feminine energy we were starting to curate here, not like those APES in there." she bellowed, forcing anyone listening inside the door to cower back "What's his name?"
"Charlie Montague."
"Ew, is he British?"
They laughed, the cigarettes burning down to stubs between their fingers.
"What is this anyway?" Julianna motioned back towards the cannery.
"I call it The Introspector. I’m going to blow these feeble minds off their hinges Jules. The path to an eternal life can’t be sought by those who close themselves off to reality."
"And what’s reality? Isn’t the whole point of AEON? That we fuck with it, make it our own?"
"Reality is pain and pleasure in equal parts my dear. Carnal desires must be sought, but we cannot fear the consequences."
"Is that why we’ve built that fucking thing?" Julianna quipped. She was pointing to the nondescript shack at the end of the lane. From where they were standing you could barely make out the formal lettering printed above the door:
AEON Coital Centre.
Fia snorted.
"You can always trust Wenjie to make something so human sound so cold and clinical. Still, it’s not without its uses."
Julianna raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
That fucking smirk was back on Fia’s face.
"Just one of the dock patrol workers last night. He’s tall and scarred. He’s brutal and beautiful, and he fucks like a jack rabbit."
She wasn’t sure why but she felt a bristle creep up her spine, a slight sickness creep into her gut at this news.
"Is that the pain and pleasure you’re talking about?"
"Maybe you’re getting it after all Jules."
"Maybe I am."
iv.
She ended up seeking Fia out much sooner than she thought – and it was all Colt's fault.
Frank had insisted she’d come. The slimy bastard hadn’t said why, but as soon as they sat in that studio she knew - she knew it was him. What was worse though, was that he didn’t. The realisation crept onto Colt’s face like an atom bottom hitting, slowly and then all at once. She had to stop herself from hurling one of Franks many guitars at him. In fairness, that was mostly Frank’s work, his ropey, yet surprisingly strong arms wrapping around her, coiling her against him. She doesn’t know if he was protecting Colt or the equipment. Instead, she stormed out the front door of that gaudy club in search of a drink.
She knew there was an outpost nestled into the rocks, the rum storage had been piling up and the place was becoming populated with those weird arcade cabinets Charlie had bought. The Fristad boys and girls loved it. It almost felt like a real bar. She found herself a corner and a bottle and began her self medication. A couple of burly looking guys were taking it turns to have a literal pissing contest off into the icey water swimming below it. Gross she thought.
"See what I mean? Where’s the femininity when its needed?"
And there she was. Julianna knew she couldn’t be far from the reactor, the bunkers down in the coves with their iron doors jutting out like forgotten ruins.
"I suppose that would be you, Fia" she mused, swigging the over-proofed rum back.
"It’s an honour" That damn smirk, was it always that attractive?
"This might be the first time I’m fucked and you’re sober." Julianna hiccupped.
"I do like a woman with versatility, but who said anything about being sober? Jules you should know by now how intricate my process is, I’m merely micro-dosing a very strict dose until 12pm, at which point I will take one of these." she pulled out a small metal box from within her coat and flicked the lid open, 4 orbs–yellow, blue, green and black sitting in the centre of it.
"I was hoping to entice Frankie into a little afternoon reverie, especially as I heard you and the new boy had finally ventured into our little rock. Reason to celebrate, no? Have you met him?"
"You mean my father? I am acquainted, yes."
"Fuck me" Fia replied.
"At this point Fia, why not? This day can’t get any weirder."
Julianna couldn’t quite read Fia’s expression, but there was a heavy moment as she could feel the girls eyes searching her face. It was indeed rare for Julianna to be the one in such a compromising position.
"I have a better idea. Open up."
"Oh you’re easier than I thought."
"Shut up. Your mouth, Jules. Tongue out."
Fia plucked one of the sugar coated candies from her case and placed it delicately on the other girl’s tongue, but it was the next part that surprised Julianna the most. Fia’s finger gently pushed her chin up, closing her lips which were met with the briefest of kisses, through the fugue state of her rum haze she thought she almost imagined it.
"It’s yellow, you’ll like it."
v.
Fiafeelgood: good morning julie-jules
Overarchiver: don’t
Fiafeelgood: coming down are we?
Overarchiver: i’m never doing that again
Fiafeelgood: you seemed to be having fun last night, who’d have thought Blackreef’s good girl was such a wildcard
Overarchiver: fia i don’t even remember half the night!
Fiafeelgood: who needs to remember, isn’t it nice to wake up and start fresh?
Overarchiver: no, remembering is very important actually. That’s my whole damn job
Fiafeelgood: ugh, fine. Be a little party pooper
Fiafeelgood: you’re a great kisser by the way
Overarchiver: excuse me???
Fiafeelgood: mmhm
Fiafeelgood: very handsy too
Overarchiver: ... we didn’t do anything right??
Fiafeelgood: don’t be silly jules i can be a good girl too
Overarchiver: oh how noble of you, jesus christ
Fiafeelgood: you’re fun to play with
Overarchiver: stop that
Fiafeelgood: oh no :( getting a little flustered?
Overarchiver: i’m logging off
Fiafeelgood: noooo stay, what if i beg?
Overarchiver: goodbye fia
vi.
"Anything stronger than this?"
Julianna turned to see Wenjie approaching her at the bar. She held up the bottle of deep viscous wine Julianna had been pouring from. There were 9 of them now, including Colt, and Aleksis had insisted they all attend the investors party to show off their ‘brilliant minds and talent’ to the backers he was hoping to woo.
"Didn’t take you for much of a drinker" Julianna replied then, looking down at Wenjie’s outfit "or a snappy dresser, don’t think I’ve seen you out of the jumpsuit in a while"
Wenjie chuckled softly
"Around Aleksis, I'll take whatever I can get. I feel like I’m a show dog on parade. Besides, we already have the money we need to do this, I am willing to bet this is so Dorsey Manor can get a loft extension and a pool." The pair shared a knowing look and laughed.
"Ladies if you’re looking for something harder, I think your heart knows who to ask."
Fia. She was regal tonight, a floor length dress in black, a slit running upto her thigh. Are you thinking about how high that goes? Well, stop.
"I value my brain too much to destroy it with that candy of yours Fia, I’m not some Updaam nihilist on a mission to forget." Wenjie bit back, downing the last dregs of her wine "I’m going to find Egor."
With that, her tiny tuexedo’d body disappeared into the throng, leaving the two women alone. She finally took the courage to meet Fia’s gaze, ignoring the flutter in her stomach when she did.
"And you, darling? Something to sweeten your evening?" Fia offered.
"I told you I was done with that. Maybe Wenjie has the right idea."
The smirk again.
"There are always other ways to distract yourself, they’re just as sweet."
From across the room she could hear the raucous obnoxious laugh of Aleksis Dorsey. Whatever joke the investor next to him had told, she knew it couldn’t be that funny.
"I don’t know what you’re referring to Fia."
"Ohhh I think you do. Why else would you have been avoiding me?"
Julianna felt a flush of embarrassment creep into her cheeks. Shit, she wasn’t this obvious was she?
"I ...haven’t been. I just.." she stuttered.
At that moment, the screech and whine of microphone feedback cut her off. Aleksis had taken to the stage now, bellowing out across the cavern of the manor’s atrium.
"Esteemed gentlemen, and ladies of course. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude that you are here tonight. AEON is pioneering the next step in human progress and every one of you here tonight that donates is responsible for changing the world as we know it..."
Fia groaned. She rolled her neck in exasperation, exposing a jut of collarbone.
"You’re telling me you’d rather stay and watch Dorsey jerk himself off in front of these perverts?"
She was leaning close into Julianna now, her mouth inches from her ear. The smell of brimstone again. She felt Fia’s fingers ghost to the back of her neck, eliciting a dangerous shiver down Julianna’s spine.
"Fuck it, get me out of here." was Julianna's response, a jolt going straight to her gut, between her thighs - driving her wherever Fia wanted to go.
....
Getting out of the manor it turns out, was not exactly possible. The moment they passed out of the main hall, Fia led them down the side corridor and into the first empty room she could find. No AEON investor came across the room that night, which was lucky because if they had they would have seen Blackreef’s esteemed archivist and chief art director in a quite the compromised position.
"Shit Fia" Julianna moaned. She looked down to see those dark eyes gazing up at her from between her legs.
"Mmhm" was the only response, she could feel Fia’s smile against her. At that moment she felt two of Fia’s agile fingers slip inside her and press there, so exact. Julianna bit her knuckles to stop another load moan escaping. The snow fell in a heavy blanket around the manor, but still, Fia’s hands blazed against the cool expanse of Julianna’s skin
It would be a while before they joined the party, minutes turning into hours. For a brief moment, Julianna wondered if they would be missed. But those worries evaporated quickly, Fia’s languid moans pushing any concerns straight of her head.
vii.
"Why the fuck does she need a detonator Egor?"
The bespectacled scientist peered at her through the insanely thick rims of his glasses. She was already annoyed she had to trek all the way out to The Complex for this conversation, but Egor these days was refusing to come out of his workshop, surrounded by all the widgets and doo-dads he possessed.
"I’m not here to police the whims of other Visionaries Julianna, surely that’s Colt’s job you can take it up with him."
"I think its all of our jobs to perhaps prevent the possibility of half the island being blown to shit mid loop!."
"We’re still a few months out, we’re not even linked up yet why do I care what Fia wants to do with her reactor? One less narcissist isn’t the end of the world."
"Yes but a nuclear explosion might be."
"Go talk to Colt."
"No."
"Fine, go to talk to Fia then."
For fuck's sake
....
She had been avoiding visiting the reactor for as long as possible but there was no other option now. She got the sense Fia wanted Julianna to come to her. She probably wasn’t anticipating this would be the reason she stormed into Fractured ImAGE that day, but Julianna could almost feel the steam billowing out of her ears.
"What the fuck Fia!?" she exclaimed. She had demanded a meek looking Eternalist escorted her. He had been reluctant, but the LMP-10 now pressed to his temple convinced him otherwise.
She had expected anger, resentment, an explosive argument of some kind, but not...this. Fia was hunched over her desk, her face leant against her palm, jaw slack.
"Erikkkk" she slurred "Julianna is a guest herrre why does she have a gun to your head?" Fia sat up, blinking a few times as if waking up. Julianna pushed Erik away, he scurried off so fast she wondered what kind of henchmen Frank was even hiring these days.
"You’re completely wasted aren’t you? What is it this time, Black Liquorice?"
Fia chuckled. It wasn’t the laugh she was used to, it was deeply unsettled and unfamiliar.
"No...art juice. Tastes kinda funnnyyyy."
"You’re huffing paint?? Jesus that’s low even for you."
Fia hiccuped and then look hurt.
"That’s mean Julie-Jules, I thought you came here to party. All the little lights are blinking, I can almost hear the electricity. Come feel it with me!"
"I’m not here to blast my brain cells into oblivion Fia, I came to take that detonator off you. What the hell were you even thinking?"
"Chaos Jules, it’s a fuckinggg beautiful thing. Harriet talks a lot of sense once you start listening to her. Heey, did you know she’s living in an airplane, isn’t that so....wow!" she grinned, gormless.
"So what you’re gonna blow yourself up every day, take out Frank maybe too? You’re risking everything!"
Fia straightened herself up, it looked like she was mustering every shred of concentration she could.
"What’s the point of you even being here if you’re not going to look death in the face every damn day and tell him ‘I don’t fear you’. We’re fucking gods Julianna"
"No. You’re just reckless, and I’m done here."
"You’re a coward"
"And you’re disappointing. Don’t make me come back."
viii:
The initiation date was getting close, peeking over the horizon like the promise of sunrise after a long night. She wasn't sure how she had been roped into doing so much admin. Were genius scientists and tortured artists incapable of doing a simple piece of paperwork? Today it was Charlie Fucking Montague. Aleksis needed his budget report for that eyesore of a game he had been building in Updaam, and naturally instead of talking to him or dealing with it himself, he was sending Julianna in his place. She wasn’t sure what he meant when he had told her she had a ‘threatening aura’, but she was deciding to take it as a compliment.
Updaam felt like miles away and was enveloped in the last minute chaos of construction, so navigating it was - in all honesty - a bitch.
"I’m looking for Charlie" she demanded, approaching one of the crews milling around by the bridge.
"Trailer." one of them said, gesturing vaguely to a cliff behind the castle ahead "But I think he’s busy". The men shared a smug look between them. Julianna wasn’t in the mood.
"In all honesty fellas, I don’t give a shit. Get back to your posts."
Perhaps it had been a mistake to come here. Honestly, if Aleksis could do his job she wouldn’t have even be in Updaam. As she climbed to Charlie’s ramshackle of a trailer compound, she already sensed something wasn’t right, like feeling the storm before it hits. She approached the door, fist ready to knock until Charlie responded or else let her boot do the work for her, but she was stopped in her tracks by an all too familiar sound.
"Fuck...Charlie" the moans echoed deep from the other side of the door, moans she knew very well.
She had heard them before, whispered against her ear in a dark room, tightening around her fingers before building to...
"God Fia...baby...you’re so hot, you’re so fucking hot." Charlie’s voice now, grunting rhythmically. She reeled back, a hot searing jolt into her stomach. A toxic cocktail of anger, nausea and something else.
Something that settled uncomfortably in the apex between her legs, a hunger that went unsatiated.
She told Aleksis she couldn’t find Charlie. The man could figure out his own problems for once in his life.
ix.
Julianna rubbed her eyes, leaning back from the minicom. Colt has sheepishly delivered the LPP to her that morning, a stack of pages detailing every protocol that they needed to follow when the loop was active. Unfortunately it was dense as shit, no Visionary was going to take time to read it
‘Fia said it was genius’
‘Yeah Fia says a lot of things’
So here she was, abridging it so that even the likes of half brained Charlie Montague could parse it.
The Loop is ANCHORED by the Visionaries. Yes, that means YOU.
Should one of us PERISH, the Loop will be destabilized.
And if all of us happen to die in some iteration, the Loop itself will be in JEOPARDY.
HOW NOT TO DIE
- Avoid spending TIME with other Visionaries. Focus on your personnel.
- Yes, that includes FRATERNIZATION. Fraternization means sex.
- Don’t play with your SIDEARM. Sidearms include SMGs.
- Keep SECURITY systems on at all times.
x.
Fiafeelgood: Got your little staff memo
Overarchiver: Ok?
Fiafeelgood: Fucking mature of you jules
Overarchiver:I’m sorry?
Fiafeelgood: Is Charlie that much of a threat to you?
Overarchiver:If you’re referring to the safety protocols, your actions are a threat yes
Fiafeelgood: Oh please, if Blackreef is our beloved Eden you’re just making Charlie the proverbial apple, you really think this is going to stop me?
Overarchiver:If you want to throw away everything we’ve worked for over some mediocre dick, that’s on you
Fiafeelgood: you’re throwing away everything we’ve worked on over what? not getting any pussy?
Overarchiver: Security protocol is final Fia, infractions will be dealt with
Fiafeelgood: Bitch
Overarchiver: Slut
xi.
"I don’t want this falling into the hands of some dickweed Eternalist, how do I know they’re not just going to take it off me?" Julianna held the slab carefully in her hands, the sharp cut of the edges pressing into her palms.
"Only Visionaries possess the ability to wield these Julianna you have nothing to fear." Wenjie replied, her back turned as she continued to tinker away at her station.
"And it works on everyone?"
"Yes anyone, did I not explain myself the first time? You can swap appearance with anyone you like. You and Egor certainly have a penchant for deception."
"Sound a little worried there Wenjie, maybe Frank’s got the right idea about not having one." Julianna slipped the slab into her pocket. It felt heavy and surprisingly cold.
"No, you all need a way to protect yourself. Keeping you all out of harms way is much more concerning than Egor creeping around where I can’t see him. Although, if I may..."
Wenjie turned to look at Julianna, a nervousness faltering her ususally calm expression.
"Have you spoken to Fia?"
Julianna scoffed "No, have you? She spends all day out on that frigid rock. Ask Montague he’ll know."
"I can’t ask him he’ll do anything she asks he’s a puppy. A puppy with half a brain at that. God I can’t believe they talked me into that."
Julianna grimaced slighty at the mental image of Charlie’s brain chunk floating around in goo somewhere in the lab.
"The slab she has. Its powerful, she could be practically unstoppable and given where she is..." Wenjie trailed off, her train of thought stopping itself "We need to be very careful, Colt needs to keep a close eye on her."
"Great, we’re a week away from becoming immortal and some crazed art whore is going kill us all before we get there, is that what you’re saying?"
"I’m saying...maybe bringing Fia here wasn’t the best idea."
"Yeah.In all honesty Wenjie, I think you might be right."
xii.
She felt untouchable. But then again, that was the whole point, right? The further they looped into their eternal afterlife, the more she felt it mould to her touch. She realised she could lapse between time and space itself. Flitting from the beach to Updaam and back without anyone knowing she was there. Her and Colt had started running the place with Naval precision–although recently he was starting to seem ...off. She couldn’t place her finger on it, but she was trying not to worry.
According to Wenjies’ (all 9 of them) calculations, they were about 2.5 years in, in real time. But what was real time any more? She was also trying not to focus too much on the fact Wenjie was starting to forget the little things. She was repeating conversations she was sure they already had.
My head isn’t feeling so clear these days Julianna, you’ll have to excuse me.
In spite of the glitches however, she knew they had made it, achieved the impossible, even if that meant proving Aleksis right. So why shouldn’t see have a little fun?
It wasn’t the first time she went, although she tried not to go often. She knew Charlie was never far. Looking out over the cragged rocks of the reef, the midday sun starting to turn into the afternoons icey chill, Julianna closed her eyes briefly and focused, opening them again to be greeted with darkness and the smell of brimstone.
There she was, back turned at her console like always.
"Hello again Jules."
Swift as ever, Julianna stepped to press Fia against the console, the hilt of her machete ready in her palm.
Fia smirked.
"And what will it be today then?"
The taller woman’s body turned, pressing herself even tighter against Julianna’s lithe frame. Julianna readied the blade at her side.
"Pain? Or pleasure?"