Chapter 30 Purge?
Dustin stood and looked at his virus one last time, then closed everything down and held up the thumb drive that contained the end to the AI. With a small smile on his face, he headed towards the airlock. It was time for that AI to get its ass kicked.
XxxxX
Old Motha took them into another world when they went through the doorway in the back of the room. Olivia actually had to turn and make sure there wasn't some kind of teleport technology going on.
Everything had been dim, and dirty, tribal and uncivilized, but when they followed her into the 'back', they had stepped into a clean, brightly lit room. The floor was unblemished tiles, and the walls were smooth, and unmarked. It almost reminded her of a hospital.
"You broke the rules," said Old Motha, glancing over at Granny, who seemed to shrink in on herself. Olivia had never seen Granny like this, and it was kind of intimidating.
"I was only trying to save her life…"
"I know, which is why we are talking here, away from the others. They would want to kill you, you know," said Old Motha.
The inflections she had in the other room had disappeared, too, and Olivia wondered what was going on.
"It was hard to come, but she will die soon," said Granny, pointedly not looking at Olivia's stunned look.
Old Motha chuckled, noting the look on Olivia's face. "She's always been a pain in the ass, child, so don't look so startled. Though, that tough hide of hers has kept her alive," said Old Motha, reaching out a hand to touch Granny's cheek softly.
Olivia wondered if she needed to say something, when Old Motha swirled towards her, and grabbed her wrist.
"Come on, we need to fix your spirit before it kills you. I'm surprised you've stayed in one piece this long."
Olivia was dragged, against her will, towards a low table. The strength in the hand that held her, was terrifying. She was shoved onto it, then Granny started strapping her in place.
"It's to keep you still. If you move while this is going on, you could die."
As if she didn't have enough to worry about, Olivia closed her eyes and tried to slow her breathing. It would be alright. Granny would never let anything happen to her. She loved Dustin too much to take her away from him.
Old Motha started to mumble something, and she felt a cool touch that started at the top of her head, and traveled down to the tips of her toes. Olivia was sure it wasn't a hand that touched her, because it felt like it was touching her skin, through the clothes she was wearing. There was a moment of physical pain, as if her skin was being ripped open, and then she felt like she was floating in the air. There was no pain, no feeling at all.
Her eyes flew open as she felt something poking and prodding her, and the sight before her, completely mesmerized her. There were lights all around her, that were colors she didn't recognize, shapes that looked impossibly precise, and things, that she knew were alive, somehow looking at her, as if she were something tasty.
There were no sounds, no smells, it was as if she was cut off from her body, floating in another dimension, and it was terrifying. She wasn't sure how long she had been floating, when suddenly she was falling, and everything went black.
Opening her eyes, she looked up at both Old Motha and Granny. They were blinking their eyes down at her, and she was struck by how similar their eyes were.
The smile on Granny's face, as Olivia sat up, was enough to bring a small smile to her own face.
"It worked! You are now complete, with no tag alongs!" cried Granny, clapping her hands together happily.
"What did you see, child?" asked Old Motha, curiously, having noted the subdued look in her eyes.
"There were things watching, and they were hungry…" said Olivia, shuddering at the memory.
"Yes, they would have eaten you, had I not protected you. They are why it is forbidden to attempt Spirit work, without training," said Old Motha, glancing at Granny.
"You said I brought a solution?" said Granny, trying to change the subject.
Old Motha nodded, moving over to a stuffed recliner, that looked like it had just left the factory where it was built.
"You have found a home, but my Gooblen are too rough and tumble to take anywhere else. I have been too lenient on rules. I think it is time for a purge."
Olivia glanced over at Granny quickly, when she gave a hiss of surprise.
"There are too few of us left in the whole galaxy! Why would you recommend something like that!"
"I sent out a call to all of my remaining children, and you are the only daughter to have returned. I have only males left. The few daughters that have been born in the last couple of years, are unable to produce crystals…"
Granny's head swiveled so fast at that, turning towards Old Motha, Olivia thought it would fall off.
"They can't produce crystals?! That would mean…"
"Yes. It is time for a purge. The gene pool is too depleted to produce any new daughters from those I have here. If I were to leave them, they would go rogue, eating everything until the above falls in and alerts those above of us to our presence."
"What's a purge?" asked Olivia, wondering if it meant what it sounded like.
"We would take material inside of us, of all those who are down here, and kill them," explained Granny with a sad tone to her voice. "If none of the new daughters are able to produce crystals, then it means they will never be able to bear young. They are sterile."
"We can go to this new home you have, and start fresh, with the material from here, and those you have there," suggested Old Motha.
"The knowledge of our people will be lost if we do this. All the other clans are gone. The last three sisters I was able to find, had to purge as well, because of this. They were not able to recover."
Old Motha studied Granny's tired face and sighed. "We are old, daughter. Perhaps it is that our people are not meant to continue."
"Dustin might be able to help?" suggested Olivia, honestly not sure if he could or not.
There was a knock at the door, and Old Motha pushed a button on the arm of her chair, letting the door be opened. A young Gooblen stood there, looking terrified, holding what looked like a tablet. Olivia could see it was currently playing a video of some kind, and Dustin was the one on the screen.