Chloe At Worlds' End
Chapter 3

Since the dock was destroyed, Chloe and Onri had to swim over to the rocky shore in front of Charlie’s boat shop in order to get out of the water. After they clambered over the rocks and stood ashore, they noticed that the store was still open, but left unattended. Onri looked back to the water and noticed that his friends, the sea lions, were floating nearby and paying close attention to him, he said

“I suppose we’re going to go home now… if it is still there… just a moment.” He went to the refrigerator where the bait buckets were kept, retrieved one, and tossed all of the contents at once towards his pets.

They slowly walked the few blocks back towards home in a soggy, exhausted daze. The sky was still on the fritz, and as far as the grid was concerned, it was apparent that it was either not working, or no one was willing to fly in testing it. As they walked the neighborhood that was so familiar to them in their short lives, it was now quite transformed… physically, and psychologically. Some of their friends’ homes were either completely burned to the ground, or partially so. As they rounded the corner of their street, Chloe’s’ nerves were all pins and needles. She was afraid they wouldn’t even have a home to go to. When they both saw that it was left untouched, they immediately burst into tears and darted as quickly as they could towards it.

Chloe went straight upstairs and took a hot shower, donned her most comfortable pajamas, and then dove under the covers of her bed. As she hugged her teddy bear tight enough to asphyxiate it, she fell into a disturbed and dreamless sleep.

When she awoke, she poked her head above the covers… it was dark outside. She looked at the hologram projection of the clock above her night stand, which was her favorite cartoon character cavorting around and holding a sign that said 5:32 AM. So, she had slept through the entire early evening and night. She remembered yesterday that their fusion orb sun had frozen in place… it must now be operational and cycling again. She plopped her troubled head back upon her pillow. There were so many issues crowded inside her head… and it produced in her a nervous anxiety that she found overwhelming for her age. She got out of bed, but chose not to let go of the security of her teddy bear. She wanted to look out her second floor window to see what kind of damage was visible, but knew nothing yet would be in the dark, so she went down stairs. As she padded along, she was very thankful that there was still electrical power at least.

When she got to the family room, she voiced on the lights and the Halo View, and then sat in front of it to watch the news. As expected, it was all doom and gloom… the events in their area yesterday were successively duplicated throughout the night in all of the districts of Sanctum… none were spared! There was nothing but news shows being broadcast, and as she flipped through them, they were either playbacks of terrifying carnage, or pundits speculating on the source or reason for the attacks… which there seemed to be no obvious answers.

She needed to keep her mind busy… she was so nervous that she was shaking… and on the verge of tears and complete breakdown when thoughts of her mommy and daddy edged near. She couldn’t let herself think about those images which were now forever seared into her brain of them hitting the dock, so she shakily got up and went into the kitchen. She would make breakfast for her and Onri… but would never make French toast again she thought, as it was too painful. She would make ‘Pigs in a blanket’, which of course were sausage links rolled inside of pancakes and doused with maple syrup.

As she was busy preparing it, Onri came down and sat at the table… the table that all of them only yesterday were so completely happy at. She saw that he also couldn’t yet let go of his teddy bear, which was actually a milk cow. He set It upon the table and buried his face into it… sobbing. Chloe rushed over to him and sat next to him and they both hugged and sobbed for quite a while. She then finished making their breakfast and they ate in teary silence.

By the time they had finished eating, it was day light outside… fake day light Chloe thought, as Sanctum was so rudely reminded yesterday. She wanted to go walking around outside to see what had changed… but also had the temptation to just stay in and pretend everything was still as it had been before. She and Onri were still sitting there in their pajamas and facing each other… not really knowing what to do with themselves’ next. It was as if… they got up, or even moved in the slightest, the awful reality of this time would continue to progress… but as long as they sat here motionless, it was frozen. She could tell that they both thought this as they stared blankly at one another... not daring to move.

Chloe said “I think I will get dressed and venture outside…” Onri countered

“I don’t want to yet, I’m going to stay in for a while…”

“Ok” Chloe went to her room and looked out the window. The sky seemed stable… and the sun as well. She surveyed the partial view of her neighborhood… it looked apocalyptic and was still smoldering in many areas. There were folks moving around here and there, but none were flying yet that she could see. She went to her bureau to get dressed. When she tried to choose something to wear, all she found were her cheerful, colorful clothes that she had always favored. They certainly didn’t reflect her current mood, but she had nothing else.

Once dressed and stepping off the back porch, she thought she would at least test the grid… she thumbed her suit to try and elevate only a few inches. It was initially unresponsive, but then jerkily ferried her up a little… and then quit all together as it plopped her back aground. She switched it off… wondering if, as a precaution she should go back upstairs and remove it. She thought ‘Now is not the time to be dumb… march yourself right back upstairs and take it off!’ She went back inside to first find Onri. He was sitting, hugging his milk cow, and watching a Halo recording of his favorite cartoon. She said

“Onri, would you please take your suit off soon? I’m afraid of what could happen since… who knows what… is in control of the grid.”

“Ok” he replied without taking his eyes from his show.

After removing it, she was once again outside and timidly making her way down the street. As she went, she would feel herself recoil at each new glance of destruction. She found that she also was not in a mood to engage in any of the conversations that were in progress by the different groups of people that she passed.

She suddenly thought of something that she considered important… if anyone that she knew inquired about her parents… and she relayed to them what had happened... she and Onri would not be allowed to continue living on their own at home, they would be taken from there! She said aloud to herself “Gosh dang it!” as she felt frustrated that she would again have to turn right around and go back to relay this to Onri about keeping quiet.

After completing that task, she was finally making her way to the bay where she had intended to go. She walked to the front of Charlie’s shop… it was still left open and unattended. She turned around and decided to go sit on one of the large rocks along the waters’ edge. She hopped from one rock to the next until she made it to the last one before the water and sat down.

Her mood was very somber, and she cried as her eyes glazed over in thought as she stared at the area where the dock once stood. The final images of it and her parents’ bodies sinking below the surface were completely traumatic and forever seared into her mind. She buried her face into her hands as oceans of tears poured forth. She sat there in that state… for how long she didn’t know when she heard and felt the fluttering of some wings next to her, as her previously unwanted and pesky friend landed on the rock with her.

She stopped crying, lifted her red and puffy face from her hands and looked upon her bird friend. She thought it may very well be one of the few friends she had left, if not the only one… she said to it

“Hello my bird friend, thank you for not ever giving up on me…” It then answered her!

“You are very welcome; I wondered when you would finally come around…” Chloe gasped and covered her mouth.

“Oh my goodness… did you really just speak to me!?”

“Yes, my name is Colin… and I’ve so wanted to be your friend” Chloe looked upon him in surprised disbelief.

“But then... why have you not spoken to me before!?”

“I just felt that I would feel more comfortable if first you accepted me as a friend in an ordinary fashion, that’s all”

“You have been following me around for months… where were you before that?”

“I was in the Zoo District… many miles deep… under here” he said as he pointed downwards with his wing.

“I have been there, that is a very beautiful place… there is a volcano, a large lake, and beautiful green mountains covered with trees and flowered vines… it’s a natural and real place, not… fake like here” Chloe was surprised at the language she used, she had never felt disdain for Sanctum before.

The zoo district had a lot of history to it, and she was proud of her ancestral link to it. It was where the Chloe of old had her base of operations… along with the Earth spirit she called ‘Mother’. And it was still a very important place, as it is used as a figurative ‘Noah’s Ark’, where most of the planets animals are being kept safe during the present ice age on the surface.

All school children are taken there at least once on required field trips. But unlike Sanctum, where any citizen is allowed to use the grids’ Quantum Duplicator for traveling, the Zoo District and its animal populations were protected from too much human contact, and the grid is programmed to reject any travel there without authorization. Chloe asked

“Colin, have you always been able to speak?” Colin thoughtfully put his wing tip to his cheek

“Actually no, shortly before I came here I was consciously awakened by a Sea Tortious named… ‘Mother’… she called herself. She was a very nice tortious… and she asked me to please come here to find you. So I stowed away on one of the vessels which routinely travels between here and there” Chloe asked

“But… why?”

“Mother said that she would tell you the reason herself, so that is why I am here… to summon you there to her”

“Astonishing… it has been more than eight hundred years since the earth spirit has contacted anyone… and just yesterday was this calamity. You have been here for months… something sinister must have been brewing for quite some time that needed some attention” Colin then replied;

“Yes, and now I feel terrible that my delay in contacting you has resulted in a most disastrous tragedy. But I don’t think that ‘Mother’ herself anticipated such a horrific outcome as this… as she did not communicate the necessity for speed”

“I’m sure that you did everything that was required of you, you mustn’t worry… my, that was brave of you stowing away on a human vessel all by your little self”

“Oh, but I was not alone. I had the company of my sea lion friend… Ms. Aggie!”

Chloe wondered if Ms. Aggie could possibly be the same sea lion that Onri had claimed as his pet. She asked

“Really… is Ms. Aggie somewhere around here?” Colin looked out over the water.

“There she is… Ms. Aggie!” he called to her. Chloe did indeed see her and her pups swimming not far away. Ms. Aggie looked in their direction and immediately swam over with all her pups. Chloe then heard a noise behind her and looked to see Onri standing there with a shocked look upon his face. Chloe said to him

“Hello Onri, how long have you been standing there?”

“Long enough I think… I’ve heard almost everything! Hello Colin, I’m Onri” Colin replied “Hello Onri, It’s nice to finally make your acquaintance” Just then Ms. Aggie washed herself ashore on an adjoining rock. Colin introduced them all

“Ms. Aggie, I give you Chloe, and Onri…” Ms. Aggie replied

“Hello Chloe, and Onri… it is my pleasure to finally meet you both. I also want to thank you Onri for feeding me and my children breakfast all of those times” Onri replied “You’re quite welcome Ms. Aggie, and it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance as well!” Chloe also greeted her

“I’m very happy to meet you too, Ms. Aggie” Colin continued;

“Ms. Aggie and I have spoken earlier today about yesterdays’ events… and we both are so sad and very sorry for what has befallen you and your family” Chloe’s eyes again glazed over as she looked over to where the dock had been. She said to Ms. Aggie

“Ms. Aggie, you’re able to swim to the bottom of the bay… have you seen where our parents bodies are?

“Oh my goodness… yes, I immediately took stock of where they were yesterday after the tragedy… and this morning I also went to look again as well. Unfortunately, I’m sorry to report to you that there has been a strong current lately along the bottom, and they have been carried out to sea” Chloe looked up at Onri with a sad expression as she replied to Ms. Aggie

“…Ok, that was most kind of you to concern yourself for us, thank you for informing us” Onri then asked

“Chloe, what do you think that we should do now?”

“That is a very important question… and a most pressing one. Obviously all of Sanctum is in immediate danger and something needs to be done now!”

Colin offered “If I may make a suggestion, I do know where that very same submarine vessel is located which Ms. Aggie and I used before… would you like me to lead both of you there now?” Chloe and Onri looked at one another in thought. Chloe answered

“I do think that there is not a moment to lose, there could be another attack and more innocent people could be killed… yes, please take us there now if it is not too far away” Colin replied

“Oh, it is not far at all… it is only at the end of the bay over there!” They all looked as he pointed with his wing. Chloe said

“Then by all means, let us all hurry over there immediately!” Colin said

“Superb! I will lead the way from above, and will meander about so that I won’t leave you behind”

Colin flew off and circled above them as Ms. Aggie said

“And I will be there waiting for you... see you there!” Chloe and Onri watched Ms. Aggie and her pups swim off, and then got a move on themselves. Chloe said to Onri as they hurried along

“Onri, can you believe all of this? It looks as though we are starting a most fantastical adventure!”

“I won’t deny it, I am feeling so very excited… but I’m also so torn up inside. I wish mom and dad were still here to come with us” Chloe replied

“Yes… me too, but at least we have a real chance at getting to the bottom of all of this, and finding out who is responsible”

“Yes, we must… and make them pay for it!”

They followed Colin as quickly as they could, and before long they found themselves’ at a dock which had the aforementioned submarine docked alongside it. Colin landed on its hull next to a protruding hatch where one could gain entrance to it. Ms. Aggie was already there with her pups floating next to it. Chloe looked around the surrounding docks.

“Well, it does look like we are alone here. Probably since yesterdays’ events whoever usually looks after this vessel has either suffered some awful fate, or they are attending to personal matters. Shall we see if it is unlocked?” Onri sprang atop it

“Let me see!” he said as he tried to turn the circular steel crank which was certainly the mechanism for opening it. It turned easily, as it was well maintained and properly lubricated. He pulled upwards and opened it, and then stood back a step from it. He looked at all of them. Colin said

“Well, I suppose it’s now or never” and he promptly hopped right in. Ms. Aggie said good bye to her pups, telling them “Mama will be back soon, and no fighting while I’m gone, you hear me?” she then swam upon the hull and plopped herself into the hatch as well. Chloe and Onri looked into the dark hole and then at one another… and giggled as they both fought to gain access simultaneously, struggling and tickling each other to make the other lose as they both fell inside with a thump to the floor.

They both stood up and looked around as their eyes adjusted to the dim interior. Onri said

“I can see now, it’s not so dark in here… the lights are just a little dim is all, I will close the hatch” Chloe walked to the front where the bridge and two navigators chairs were. Colin was perched atop the back of the left one and Ms. Aggie was sitting on the floor between them. They were both looking at some fish that were swimming around just beyond the front view port. Ms. Aggie said as she pointed her flipper

“Oh my, if I was out there… I would eat him!” They all laughed at that as Chloe and Onri sat in the chairs. Onri said

“I’m a little afraid… do you think that we can figure out how to Commandeer this thing?” Chloe looked at all of the controls laid out in front of them. She flipped on a switch that was labeled ‘Main Power’. The dash lit up and all of the dials sprang to life. She looked at Onri apprehensively. Onri then said

“That one looks to be the fuel gauge… and it’s full” Chloe in turn said

“Well, this is obviously the steering wheel” as she grasped it and turned it back and forth. Hydraulic pumps could be heard as they operated some directional fins outside. Onri pointed

“Look, there is a start button!” Chloe pushed it, and the vessels engine started and purred smoothly, like churning butter. She looked down at her feet and said

“That is obviously an accelerator pedal…” She looked at them all

“Well, I think that we could take some baby steps… what do you think?” they all chimed “Yes, go for it!” Chloe depressed the floor pedal a little, and off they went. Onri said

“How do we make it go down?” they both scanned the controls and found one that said ‘Depressurize’. Chloe said

“If that means that some air will be released, then the weight of the ship would take over, and we would sink… shall I push it?”

“Yes!” Chloe pushed it, and they began to sink. They all whooped

“Yay!” Chloe said

“So far so good, but now I don’t know where we are going… Colin, Ms. Aggie… can you lead the way?” Ms. Aggie waddled to the glass and propped herself up and against it. She pointed

“I know exactly which way to go, see that coral reef off in the distance? Head in that direction, and once we pass it, there is a dark cave which goes steeply downwards at an angle.

Once they passed the reef, Ms. Aggie again pointed

“There it is…that’s the one” Onri then asked her

“Is it very far? I don’t particularly like dark caves…”

“Oh, then I am sorry to inform you that it is quite far. It took about two hours last time” Chloe brought them in. It was a very wide tunnel that went almost straight down… just as Ms. Aggie had described. Onri had noticed earlier that there was a sleeping bunk at the rear of their vessel, he said

“I’m afraid this makes me a little nervous… I’m going to that bunk back there for a little nap, if I’m lucky enough to fall asleep, would someone please wake me when we’re there?” Colin answered him

“I will wake you my friend, pleasant dreams”

Chloe switched on the ‘Headlight’ switch, and the darkness in front of them became completely illuminated. It was indeed a two hour journey, and about the only thing they saw along the way were a few fish, and some eels hiding themselves in small fissures here and there. Finally, Ms. Aggie pointed

“There it is… just watch out for this cave ceiling, as it is a little low just before we exit” As Chloe complied in dipping them a little lower to avoid the jutting ceiling, Colin called out to Onri

“Onri… wake up, we’re here!” Onri was with them in a flash and jumping into the co-pilots chair.

“Oh boy… how exciting, I just love it in the Zoo District. No one ever gets to come here as often as they’d like” As they were passing the low ceiling, Onri noticed another adjoining cave entrance that was perpendicular to them, he asked Ms. Aggie

“Do you know where that other cave leads to?”

“Yes, there is one other entrance to this place from some other far away part of the world, but I’m not sure where… somewhere called the Mediterranean, at least that is what I heard a man say when I was hiding in here last time”

Chloe could see light beyond the rippling surface of the water above them. She looked for a button… one said ‘Pressurize’ so she pushed it, and they promptly surfaced. Onri said

“Good going sis!” as he ran back to the hatch. Chloe could clearly see that there was a yellow sign under the water ahead of them with a flashing red light on it... and it said ‘Dock’. She pulled the submarine alongside of it and hit the ‘Stop’ button, which killed the engine. Onri opened the hatch and popped his head out. Chloe immediately smelled that enticing, blossom scented air that anyone who has been here before would know. She sprang out of her chair and climbed out as well.

They all stood upon the hull to take in the nirvana of this place. It was forever pristine and unchanged. Chloe had been here twice with her school chums, and as she looked upon the flaming volcano far in the distance, she thought that it never ceased to amaze her. They all hopped onto the dock and walked along it until it ended at the black volcanic sands of the shore. Ms. Aggie said to them

“Oh my… my skin is feeling a little dry. This poor sea lion needs a swim. Colin, why don’t you escort Chloe to where we last saw our ‘Mother’ sea tortoise, I’m going to the lake just beyond those ferns” Onri exclaimed

“Oh, I should want to go with you! I have always dreamed of swimming in that lake… I hear it is as warm as a bath. You go ahead Chloe; that is where I will be with Ms. Aggie”

As Onri and Ms. Aggie left for their swim, Colin led Chloe along as he hopped on the ground beside her, saying;

“My, it seems like forever since I’ve been here. The last we saw of ‘Mother’, she was bidding us a safe journey while munching on some greens… just about… here!” They stopped and looked around… and sure enough, there she was. And she was still eating grass… Chloe said

“Well, she must have been hungry, as she is still eating!” Colin chuckled

“Ha ha, that is very silly… Mother, we are here…!” Mother turned her head from her meal. She looked relieved to see them as she made her way over to them; she said

“Hello Colin, and hello Chloe” Colin replied

“Hello Mother, I’m sorry for the delay, but we are now finally here…” Chloe greeted her as well

“I’m pleased to meet you Mother. It has been a very, very long time since anyone has seen or heard from you. I trust you have been well these past eight hundred years?” Mother amusedly replied

“Oh, ha ha… yes, I have been in existence all of this time, but not in a physical form until around one year ago when I decided that it was necessary for me to contact you. I chose Colin and Ms. Aggie to help me in this way” Chloe queried

“Sanctum suffered a major attack yesterday and many lives were lost, including mine and Onri’s parents. Is there any relation to this event and the reason that you have summoned me here?”

“Yes, around that time one year ago, I became aware of a feeling… a stirring of a memory… of a most dreaded consciousness that existed before. As you probably know, I exist as a collective of all living consciousness. That stirring memory then solidified for me into tangible proof of the reawakening of the same malevolent being that long ago caused so much destruction. The very same one that your ancestor Chloe, who I had the pleasure of knowing, battled against at my bidding… and succeeded” Chloe asked

“But how is this possible… all of these centuries later?”

“That is a question that only I would be able to answer for you… the genetic memory encoded into the DNA of that man who once called himself Rajeem… whose body was left in a mountain top cave after being slain, was consumed by a wolf that was carrying offspring. A direct descendant of that ancient wolf recently came into contact with one of the only two existing ‘life jewels’ which I created… the very same ones that Rajeem and Chloe originally used against one another. Those stones have been safe in this place, not far from here, all of this time” Chloe asked

“Do you need me to go retrieve one of these stones?”

“Yes, it is now very urgent that you do so. When the Chloe of old was living here with her mate Onri, she used the power of the crystal to transport here from the surface, the entire house which she used to live in. She did it to provide a comfortable place for her to live in with her new family, along with her grandmother and other family members, and also to provide continuity for the enchanted furniture of the attic room. That room is where the remaining available stone resides… apart from the one which was recently taken”

Chloe thought about all of this information, then asked

“After I am in possession of the jewel, what do you propose that I do next?”

“Once you are in possession of it, you will find that its’ many powers will be available to you, including continuous cerebral communication with me. This is all a very fluid situation from here on out, and we will adjust as we go” Chloe queried again

“May I ask… do you know where this wolf… Rajeem… is presently?”

“That question has been a perplexing one for me, as I could normally answer that with a certainty. But I am curiously finding it not to be so this time, as I am now sensing him in many simultaneous locations at once”

“Then I will have to be very careful… it sounds as if he could be almost anywhere at any time!”

“Yes… so now you know where to start in helping to save your selves and our world from more destruction… Colin knows the location of the house we spoke of. It would be best if you do not delay for even a minute... good luck Chloe and Colin” Chloe thanked her

“Thank you Mother, I will try not to disappoint you, we will hurry… good bye for now.”

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