Revelation (M/F) (F/M) - A sequel to Devastation

[wolfman]

You bring such wonderful surprises, @wolfman. I never expected to run into a Nephilim here.

You know me, I like to throw in something unexpected every so often.

I do really love the last part of this chapter: This intimate moment when Sasha talks to Kurt. It is captured so perfectly.

Sasha ia only human and it makes sense for her to be missing the only man she has ever loved at this time. Time heala all wounds, they say. But what of the scars left behind?

[Caesar73]

I do really love the last part of this chapter: This intimate moment when Sasha talks to Kurt. It is captured so perfectly.

Sasha ia only human and it makes sense for her to be missing the only man she has ever loved at this time. Time heala all wounds, they say. But what of the scars left behind?

Good point - and you captured Sasha´s Emotions so well. I would say: Time does not heal all wounds, you just learn to life with them - and that is what Sasha is doing. The empty Space Kurt left in her heart - it is still there.

[wolfman]

@Bandit666 @Caesar73 @GreyLord @slackywacky

Nikita stirs slowly, her hand creeping across the bed. She snaps to wakefulness not feeling Halpron at her side.

It takes a moment for her mind to catch up, until she realises Halpron is on the phone. With a worried look she whispers, “All OK?”

He returns her look with one of sadness, with a shake of his head, he mouth, “No.”

She crosses the room, naked and puts an arm around his shoulder, “I am with you.”

“Hang on a moment. Need to brief Niki.” He says before muting the call.

“What’s wrong Hal? Has something happened?” Nikita asks, with trepidation.

“Eight point six earthquake, centred two miles under the main urban centre in Haven. Residential areas are shattered. Streets in chaos and the main dam above the city is cracked.” Halpron explains, ashen faced.

The more he speaks, the more pronounced the look of horror on Nikita’ face. She raises her hand to her mouth, “No.” She almost exhales the word, not wanting to believe.

“Phobos is opening a portal to the onsite crisis centre, it will be open in a couple of hours.” Halpron says, “I have to go, but you should stay. Be with your family.”

“No. This is bigger than a holiday. The Saviour’s Guard haven’t faced anything like this before. They have the training, but I have managed disaster relief before. You need me.” Nikita says, already drafting protocols in her mind.

“I do need you. In so many ways. I would never ask for your help, but, this is too big. I am truly out of my depth.” Halpron says, earnestly.

“You will never have to ask, I am always here for you, by your side.” Nikita says, hugging the proud man.

“I love you, Niki.” He whispers, softly. Uttering the only words he can speak.




Sasha opens the back door, beaming a smile. The intoxicating scent of bacon and mushroom spills out into the morning air, “Niki! Come in. We are just about to have some breakfast.”

Awkwardly, Nikita and Halpron enter, seeing Kim and her sisters sat at the table with Alex, Rachel and Moses. “Hi everyone.” Nikita says, warmly before turning back to Sasha, “We can’t stay.” She says softly, the words like a hammer blow to her chest.

“What’s wrong, babe?” Sasha asks, seeing the worry on her sisters face.

Nikita glances at Halpron, who nods saying, “Many realms have suffered greatly from extra dimensional incursions. This has resulted in massive numbers of refugees over the years. Many of them flocked to a realm called Haven.” He pauses, “It is a massive realm with lush fields, forests rivers and seas teeming with life. Many cities exist here. Around four hours ago, the largest city there, named Hope, experienced a powerful earthquake. We are scrambling the largest relief operation, we have ever launched. I have to go to coordinate support from other realms and Nikita has agreed to come to oversee the relief operation.”

Sasha and the others listen closely and feel his words weigh on their hearts. Sasha takes a slow deep breath, “When are you leaving?”

“There will be a portal opening in about an hour.” Nikita says sadly.

Sasha nods, thoughtfully before turning to Kim and Tara, “Can you set up Auntie Niki and Hal with coffee and some bacon and mushroom sandwiches?” She turns back to her sister, “Sit your asses down. You have time to eat something before we go.”

“What do you mean we?” Nikita asks, caught off guard.

“Your expertise is rescue operations and disaster relief. Mine is triage. I have set up dozens of treatment centres on a moments notice.” Sasha says without hesitation, “Now sit down and have something to eat.”

Everyone else misses the subtle exchange of glances between Alex and Rachel, before he says, “I’m in too. I have experience with engineering projects, infrastructure repair and reclamation.”

Moses nods and gruffly sighs, “You might have problems with disorder, looting and opportunity crime. I can work with your security teams, managing public order.”

“I will ask Dad and Lou to look after Liam and the girls. Probably at a minimum of two weeks.” Sasha says, thoughtfully.

“Hell no. We are coming too.” Ali says, indignant.

Before anyone else can speak, Kim butts in, “There will be kids our age affected. They don’t have a choice, but we do. We have never done anything like this before, but we want to help.”

Sasha makes eye contact with Moses, then Rachel and Alex, “Go to your room.”

“This isn’t fair.” Tara chips in, “Yeah we are young, but we can still help.”

“We need to discuss it.” Sasha says with a hint of finality.

“Even if we are not on the front lines, let us do something to help.” Ali says pleadingly.

Alex reaches across the table and takes his daughter’s hand, “We need to talk about it. This is not a yes, but it is not a no either.”

Reluctantly the girls get up from the table and head to their room, grumbling silently with psi, unheard by anyone else.



Half an hour later the girls stand together by the door, with their parents, Nikita and Halpron looking across the room at them.

Sasha smiles up at them, “We have discussed it and made a decision. The scale of the devastation is too great to have you out in the field. The city and realm is in chaos at the moment.” Sasha says, gently but firmly.

Kim and her sisters look downcast, “We understand. We just wanted to help.”

Halpron speaks softly and calmly, “We have decided not to send you into the field, however, there is the opportunity to act as observers in the critical incident office and sit in on high level meetings.” He pauses for a moment gauging their reaction, “You have a military skill set and some operational experience, plus a wide base of other skills. This is a chance for you to see how decisions are made and how it is not always the front line that makes the difference.”

Sasha smiles to herself thinking, “Gotta hand it to him, it is an elegant way for them to help without risk.”

Tara psis to her sister, “Are we being mugged off?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t think so. I am kind of interested.” Ali psis, to the ascent of Kim.

“Even if we are, there are four of us able to interpret incoming information and discuss faster than anyone else on the planet.” Anya suggests by psi.

“True, we can spot patterns and solutions that other may miss.” Tara psis with a shrug.

Kim smiles and bows slightly, “We are on board Your Majesty, we want to be a part of this.”

“Very good. If anyone asks, you are attending as part of an unconventional operations advisory team. There is one rule.” He says seriously, “If you have an idea, speak up.”



Dani knocks at Sasha’s back door and smiles when her sister opens it, “Got your message, I am in.” She says with a smile.

Sasha smiles, seeing something of her sisters old self returning. “Good to have you on board, we are going in mob handed.”

“Dad coming?” Dani asks, pouring herself a coffee.

Sasha shakes her head and sighs, “No, he is going to stay and look after the kids with Lou.”

Nikita makes eye contact with Dani and mouths “Are you OK?” Dani gently smiles and nods.

Halpron strides into the room, “Everything is set. When we arrive onsite, I will be straight into a meeting with the heads of other realms to secure support.”

Nikita puts her arm around him and takes up the mantle, “At the same time, we will be attending an operational meeting with the Pillars of Atlantis and the local authorities. We need to present a professional front from the get go so this meeting is important.”

Sasha smiles, “No pressure then.”

Nikita gives her a wink, “Hell no. Walk in the park, babe.”




They emerge from the circle of light and stand in fresh sheaths standing in formation, within a dimly lit room. Beyond the room, a burble of noise gently rises and falls.

Halpron and Nikita head the formation, with Sasha, Dani, Alex and Moses bringing up the year and Kim and her sisters in the middle.

Nikita turns to face everyone, “The other side of that door is a room full of scared people. When we walk through, be confident. They need to see that. Girls, helmets off they need to see your faces.”

She and Halpron exchange a nod, before saying, “OK everyone, on me. Let’s go.”

Nikita shoves the right hand door and Halpron shoves the left, peeling off and making a bee-line for a conference room off of the main control room.

Nikita strides forth, a symbol of calm, in a sea of chaos. The cacophony of noise rises, with panicked controllers barking orders into comm sets and incoming call alert beeping constantly. Hanging over the room is a vast display of the main city of Haven with several areas marked in red, and some flashing orange.

Kim and her sisters glance up at the map, without breaking their stride, “Got it?” Kim psis, to a unanimous response of “Got it.”

“This is more scary that Santander.” Anya psis.

“We stand together. Nothing here can harm us.” Tara psis.

“Every call is a life to be saved. These guys are amazing.” Ali psis, with a love heart.

“If we can save one life, it is all worth it. We have the tablets Niki gave us and can get straight to research and workshop over psi.” Kim psis, with the sensation of a hug to her sisters.

From the moment, Nikita steps onto the floor, ripples of calm flow across the room. Voices become calmer, body language is more relaxed.

“Hell of a set up.” Dani thinks to herself, “Modelled on the Nirvana set up, but seems more slick. I think Niki has crafted the operations structure that she has always wanted.” She nods with a hint of quiet admiration.

Sasha casts her gaze around the room subtly, whilst thinking, “This is what happens when you apply training techniques for special forces to your support operations. No expense spared, all resources provided and the best of the best. This takes the Nirvana approach to eleven. Can’t wait to see what their medical facilities are like.”

Across the command floor, the group enter a large well lit conference room. The room is dominated by a functional looking table lined with chairs facing a bank of large monitors.

Everyone finds their assigned seat, each with a small keypad for conference call commands. One by one screens blink on. General Cassius, Military. High Priestess Angela, Phlogiston Order. Galton, agriculture and supply. Corven, Guild Master. Neophytos, media and arts.

Finally, an ashen faced man, with a dishevelled suit and shirt and unkempt hair, comes on screen. Titus, Haven Commonwealth President. He clears his throat and takes a sip of water, before speaking. His voice is dry and hoarse, with a hint of an emotional dam about to break at any moment.

“Thank you for coming. Before I say anything else, I and the peoples of the Haven Commonwealth thank you for any help you can provide.”

“We stand together, or we fall apart Mr President. His majesty, King Halpron has empowered us to provide any assistance we can.” Nikita says, in a gentle assuring tone. “Could you please explain the nature and scale of the issues, we face alongside you?”

A sense of relief plays across the man’s features and he nods. He takes a deep breath and begins, “A few hours ago an earthquake devastated our largest urban centre of Hope, which is home to almost eight million souls. Our main hospital was all but destroyed in a few moments. We have several triage centres set up but the supplies they need are in warehouses in shipping containers within our stock district the roads of the city are shattered and we have few aircraft that can move them. Areas of the city are cut off, with no means of transporting those affected to safe areas on the city periphery.” He pauses gravely, “The worst issue is that the event cracked the hydroelectric dam overlooking the city. The generators for the Power plant have been crushed and the city is experiencing widespread rolling black outs. To top it off my engineers have advised that the integrity of the dam is compromised and the city is at risk.”

Kim and her sisters, subtly pull out their tablets and begin rapidly typing silently. “Ladies, we need research in real time. Breakdown specs of key tech, and let’s cook.”

“Thank you, Mr President.” General Cassius says, supportively, “We have eight battalions of the Saviours Guards, on station and commencing deployment. Due to the protective wards on the realm, we cannot bring any heavy lift aircraft, but we are looking at solutions for transport. We are also deploying ten battalions of engineers, medics and hoplites for support and rescue operations, with more for civilian security operations.”

Moses speaks up, gruffly, “If I may General, I have experience of police actions and civilian law enforcement. If possible, if Atlantean forces could focus on rescue operations and leave civil policing to the Commonwealth, it will play out better. In my experience, if a foreign force operates in a law enforcement capacity, it can be viewed locally as an invasion.”

“Ah yes, Moses. His Majesty briefed me on your support. I will focus our people on rescue operations and free up local personnel as you suggest. Would you be alright to advise them and act as liaison, based on your experience?” General Cassius asks.

“Of course General, plug me into ongoing operations.” Moses says, calmly.

Angela speaks softly and calmly, “I have a chapter of medical clerics and surgical teams on standby for when a medical facility is established.”

Sasha speaks up, “Given the scale of this event, I would recommend at least two field hospitals, with a ten thousand bed capacity, in locations where they can expand easily to accommodate short term demand. Use the triage centres to either send patients to the medical centre for short to long term care or treat the walking wounded ready to be taken to safe havens. In this way, you free up the triage centres from long tern bed blockers and maintain their capacity. Then the field hospitals can in turn send on patients for specialist care in other cities.”

Angela sits open mouthed for a moment, before she speaks, “Thank you Sasha. I understand you have a lot of experience with triage and medical support in this type of operation. Would you be available to act as my advisor?”

Sasha nods calmly, “Of course, my skills are at your disposal.”

“Excellent, I will be there within the hour.” Angela says, warmly, “In the mean time, Corven, could we scout for the construction of three field hospitals, fully stocked with surgical, natal, trauma and ITU facilities.”

The Guild Master smiles and nods, “Teams will be onsite within the hour, we will break ground within two. Construction will take a further four to five hours, with equipment onsite and operational readiness within twenty four hours.”

“How is that possible?” an astonished Titus asks, reflecting the thoughts of the non Atlanteans in the room.

“We blast the foundations, clear the hole and fill with concrete. Then we drive pylons deep into the ground. While the concrete cures, we wrap a spider silk sheath between the pylons and spray it with a quick setting compound which forms a hard shell for the floors, ceilings and rooftops. This process is generally done in a few hours, the rest of the time is spend dividing the internal space, installing wiring and plumbing, then equipping the wards, kitchens etc.” Corven explains smoothly, making it clear that this is not the first time this has been done or explained.

“Thank you Corven, that is a major step forward.” Nikita says with practiced charm, “Do you have anything else in process?”

“Thank you Saviour. We do indeed.” Corven says, warmly, “I have a team of construction engineers ready to go to inspect the dam with The Order to assist local repair efforts to make it safe and get it back online as quickly as possible.”

“My people say that we need to drain the reservoir to at least one quarter capacity to reduce the pressure on the dam, otherwise the danger of collapse doubles every two hours.” Titus says, gravely.

“I see.” Corven says, “I have my best people ready to go to support your engineers efforts.”

“I have experience with infrastructure reclamation and repairs in rural areas and in the aftermath of large scale natural events. It may be possible to set up alternative power generation solutions. I would like to be plugged into your operations.” Alex says, earnestly. “I have worked ops in similar circumstances and from what I can see so far, we can probably get the lights back on without blowing the network, if we can get some form of power generation online.”

“We welcome your support in this operation.” Corven says, with a smile. “Although with the dam’s power plant in ruins, I am not sure how we can achieve that.”

[GreyLord]

Wonderful segue to action involving most of the family. Well done, @wolfman. I am eager to read what comes next.

[Caesar73]

The first Paragraph is so touching - unconditional love at display.

Then we have a perfectly normal scene breakfast, then the mood changes when Nikita and Halpron enter.

Nikita´s reaction is cute, when she realizes that Sasha plans to join them.

Family acting together? Wonderfully made!

[wolfman]

@GreyLord @Caesar73 thank you for your wonderful comments, i am glsd you are still enjoying this tale. There will be some action soon, but not the violence you are used to from me. We will get a chance to see the characters save lives for a change

[wolfman]

@Bandit666 @Caesar73 @GreyLord @slackywacky

All eyes in the room turn to the door as Halpron opens it and strides across the room to take a seat beside Nikita. Under the table, he subtly squeezes her hand as she whispers an update on the meeting so far, before connecting his comms to the meeting.

“Greetings one and all. Titus, it is good to see you, I wish it were under better circumstances.” Halpron says, with a tone of gentle power, “I have just finished with the heads of state from across the realm and support will be provided by all of them in various forms, detailed in a memo that will be circulated after this meeting.”

He takes a sip of water and everyone seems to subtly relax. “Looks like daddy is home and the kids are settling.” Kim psis to her sisters, who nod in response, “Are we done cooking?” She psis, showing her idea.

Anya, Ali and Tara all send thumbs ups and Tara psis, “Are you cool to test the waters, Kim? We will jump in after.”

Kim psis a wink to them all, “Will wait for the right moment and go for it.”




“So, we have triage centres and field hospitals in process. The dam is off line as far as power generation and is structurally unsound. We have streets full of rubble, pockets of survivors trapped within the city and too few aircraft to airlift them efficiently. Supplies are in the stock district with no means of transport to the areas that they are needed most. I think that about covers it.” He rubs the back of his neck and then cracks it. “Ladies and gentlemen, the clock is ticking, we need ideas and action. What have we got?”

Neophytos clears her throat and nervously speaks, “Support across the realms is high for the people of Haven. My team are focused on issuing appeals for clothing, blankets and toys for those affected and donations are flooding in.”

Halpron smiles and nods as she speaks, “That is excellent news and great work. Thank you for jumping on that so swiftly. Can you please plug into Corven’s team to ensure that donations are quickly distributed?” His words are smooth and his tone controlled, filling the other speakers on the call with a sense of calm, as they realise all ideas are welcome.

However, not all attending are without their doubts, as Titus speaks with a gentle warmth, “Before we continue, we seem to have a number of younger participants on the call?”

Halpron leans forward toward the camera subtly and speaks is a calm but firm tone, “The Mrenh Kongveal are here, at my request as unconventional operations advisors.”

“Oh really?” Titus says with raised eyebrows, “My apologies ladies. I meant no disrespect to you. Your heroism in Santander is legendary across the realms. We thank you for your help and welcome your support.”

“You are too kind, Mr President. Thank you for your words of support. We made a difference in Santander and if we can, we hope to help here too.” Kim says, trying to keep her voice low and calm. She pauses nervously and psis an image of herself in boxing gloves jumping into the ring. She clicks a button on the meeting controls.

Halpron smiles warmly, “Kim you have a hand raised, is there something you wish to say?”

“Thank you, your Majesty. Could we please ask a question?” Kim asks, nervously, as her sisters psi messages of support.

“Of course. The floor is yours.” Halpron says with an open armed gesture.

Kim takes a deep breath and decides just to go for it, “C-Corven.” She starts nervously, before she feels the support of her sisters and calms her nerves, “If a soldier networked their primary and secondary arresters together, then attached them to a container. Could they then recalibrate them for weight and use their suits interfaces to fly the containers where they need to go?” She blurts out.

Silence and stillness, fill the call as all eyes turn to Corven. He lights his pipe and gets a glint in his eyes, “Hmmmm, let me see.” He says softly, directed at no one. On screen he can he seen tapping his tablet rapidly and puffing on his pipe, then shrugging, “The maths seems to support it. It should be possible.”

“Thank you Guild Master.” Kim says , respectfully.

Cassius leans subtly back in his seat, “ I have a couple of soldiers onsite who are testing the idea. I will let you know.”

Tara takes up the mantle, “Follow up question, if I may Corven.” Taking a smile and nod from the man, as permission to proceed, she asks, “In theory, once the container is empty, could it be used as a make-shift shuttle to transport displaced individuals to safe zones and beyond.”

The older Guild Master smiles and nods again, “In theory, yes. That would be feasible.”

Halpron let’s the point hang in the air for a moment until Cassius speaks again, “Initial test is a success. Provided the soldier keeps a straight and level course, the cargo remains stable and extra gravitational flight is possible.” He exhales slowly, “I am sending a hundred soldiers to start delivering supplies.”

Halpron nods sagely, “Make it five hundred and get as much stock moved as quickly as possible, then focus on shuttling the displaced.”

Nikita leans forward and speaks softly, “We are about to have a lot of air craft in the air. Can we get a dedicated ATC operation set up to co-ordinate all flights?”

“I am already assigning a detachment from Atlantis ATC to come to Haven, but we will need to work up a control system to plug them into ground forces for full coordination.” Cassius confirms, with a gentle smile.

Halpron nods, thoughtfully, “This is a strong start. How are we with accommodation for the displaced?”

Corven nods and leans forward, “We have four temporary settlements planned on high ground, with a view to expanding size and number of sites. We are limited on numbers of engineers we can bring through. I have had to commit high numbers to securing the dam. The normal sluice way is blocked with debris and will take weeks to clear, so we are looking at blasting a channel from the dam to the sea, but this too will take time.”

“Anya, you’re up.” Kim psis, with the sensation of a hug.



Anya nods and smiles and reaches across to squeeze her fathers hand for support, before she speaks, “Your Majesty, Mr President, may I please ask a question to Phobos?”

Halpron smiles and nods, “All ideas are welcome.”, while Titus nods sceptically.

Anya clears her throat, then nervously speaks, “Phobos, do you have any practitioners with the ability to control weather? Those that could make the wind blow a certain way perhaps.”

The old Esoterican shrugs and nods, before answering in a warm and friendly tone, “Yes indeed we do young lady.”

Anya nods thoughtfully, “I have a follow up question. Could those practitioners use their abilities to make a giant cloud using the reservoir, then fly it over the city and make it rain over the sea?”

The old Mage closes his eyes thoughtfully for a moment, while his thinks and then he open his eyes with a glint and he beams a smile, “Bold, but yes that should indeed be possible.”

Cassius strokes his chin and asks, “If you were to do that, how long would it take you to drain the lake?”

Phobos looks at the camera and wobbles his shoulders for a moment, “Safely? Four to six hours. Drawing all the water up in too uncontrolled a manner would create an unstable weather system, which could cause mayhem.”

The King nods slowly, “By all means proceed. Corven am I correct in thinking that this will release some of your constraints.”

Corven puffs his cheeks out, “Yes, I could reallocate between rebuilding the dam and construction projects. This helps immeasurably.”



After the furore dies down and everyone settles with their thoughts, Halpron raises an eyebrow, seeing a raised hand in the chat, “Yes Ali, something that you wish to add.”

Ali takes a deep breath and nods subtly, “Yes Your Majesty, I have been reviewing the arrester technology and have a question about the larger, crowd control arresters used by your forces on Lyonesse.”

The King smiles gently, “Ask away.”

Ali relaxes feeling her fathers hand on her shoulder and speaks softly, but confidently, “Personal arresters take some of the absorbed force and redirect it to power some suit systems and peripherals. If the programming were uploaded to the crowd control pylons, could they switch their output from general kinetic dispersal, to direct electrical current? If they can, could this current then be routed through the dam’s power transformer to provide power to the city?”

Corven tilts his head to one side and smiles. He takes a moment to re-light his pipe, “We will need an array of at least a thousand pylons, to make it work for the whole city. However, if it does, we are looking at a potential future of free clean energy from the conversion of ambient energy into electricity.”

Cassius nods, speaking absent mindedly, “Also a much greater lift and propulsion capacity, compared to personal arresters if used to lift attached vessels.”

The King speaks warmly, “So to confirm, we have a plan for medical care, transportation and temporary housing of displaced individuals and cargo, draining the dam and restoring power. Anything else?”

Nikita keys the microphone, “Part of me will stay here, whilst the rest of me will circle the city. I will be able to use my senses to plot the position of survivors trapped in the rubble and relay then to search teams.”

Dani leans back in her seat, as she has for the whole meeting. She lights a cigarette and breathes smoke out of the corner of her mouth, “I will be flying in and around the city and will bring out the dead, so your people can focus on the living.”

“Thank you Dani, if you could do that, it would really take the pressure off of the troops on the ground.” King Halpron says, earnestly.

He settles back in his seat, taking a slow breath, controlling the silence in the room, before he speaks with an air of peace and calm, “Today is a dark day in the history of our nations. However, with our combined efforts, a new dawn will come and with it comes hope. As with all days, many challenges lay ahead, but we shall prevail.”




In the aftermath of the call the screens go dark and the room falls silent, until Halpron speaks softly, “Thank you one and all for your input and support. The next few days will be tough, however, we stand to save a lot of lives.”

Alex hugs Ali and whispers, “Good work, love. I am so proud of you.”

Moses cannot bring himself to speak as he hugs Anya. When the big American loosens his grip, he smiles at her and nods respectfully, “You are your mothers daughter, she would be as proud of you as I am.”

Kim and Tara high five with a simultaneous, “Nailed it.” Before Sasha puts an arm around each of their shoulders, “You did really well in that meeting. You can do anything.”



Nikita smiles at Halpron and slips her hand into his. Her smile falters slightly when she hears his phone ring. He smiles back and holds up his hand for a moment and whispers, “Cassius.”

He takes out his phone and shows Nikita the screen, prompting a chuckle, “Bet I can guess what he wants.” She says, playfully.

Halpron answers the call and raises the phone to his ear, in time to hear Cassius speak, “Sorry to bother you, Your Majesty.”

“No.” Halpron says, firmly.

“But I...” Cassius protests but is cut off again, “The answer is no.”

“I haven’t asked anything yet.” The General says, defensively.

Halpron smiles and speaks in a low and quiet voice, “You have had about enough time to call Corven about a single person mini fighter built around a defensive pylon and call Phobos about uses of weaponised weather magic to engage mass forces during incursion management. Now you are calling me about arranging some time with the girls to brainstorm other offensive tech options.”

Cassius opens his mouth to protest then shrugs, “You are, of course correct, Your Majesty. They seem to have an instinct for problem solving.” He shakes his head, with a look of admiration on his face, “Have Phobos and Corven been in touch?”

“Not as yet. I suspect they are dealing with the fallout of your calls, before they contact me for a meeting with the girls.” Halpron says, thoughtfully. “They will get the same response.”

“Just as a matter of interest, what will they be doing?” Cassius asks, curiously.

“While Sasha is with Angela and Alex and Moses will be in the field, they will be with Nikita, helping to coordinate search teams to hotspots.” The King explains.

Cassius nods appreciatively, and strokes his chin, “To be fair, that is a good use of their instincts and adaptability.”

“Keeps them safe too.” Halpron looks over at the girls with their parents for a moment, before speaking again, “They are good kids. That is not to take anything away from their experiences or skills, but they are still young. If we use them to further our goals in war, we become monsters. We are better than that.”

Cassius nods, “Much as it pains me to say it, you are correct , Your Majesty. I think Titus has quarters for us all at the state Palace. I might see you there later.”

“I have a feeling we will need a pint of two when this day is done.” Halpron says, with a hint of tiredness.

[GreyLord]

The family shows its abilities. The psi kids shine. Wonderful chapter, @wolfman.

[Caesar73]

The family shows its abilities. The psi kids shine. Wonderful chapter, @wolfman.

I could not agree more. Well done. As always.

[wolfman]

@GreyLord @Caesar73 thank you for your kind words.

I wanted to show a little of what everyone brings to the party and this will be explored more over coming chapters. We will see some different kinds of action from everyone

[wolfman]

@Bandit666 @Caesar73 @GreyLord @slackywacky

Nikita settles back in her seat at the head of the table and closes her eyes. With a thought she connects the direct neural interface of her suit with the mapping software generating the hologram above.

Kim relaxes in her seat and connects to the sheath network generated by all Atlantean sheaths in the realm.

Anya, Ali and Tara use their interfaces to write code at the speed of thought. Anya creates a code as a bridge between the sheath network and the local systems. Ali works on a code to convert the locations of soldiers into real time locations on the map. Tara works on a plug in to the ATC software controlling the container/shuttle network and plot shuttles on the map

Behind the man stands a nervous, wiry man, frantically tapping a tablet. His shirt and black trousers, show him as a civilian, but his expression of worry and fatigue, marks him as a man, with the weight of peoples lives on his shoulders.

One by one they open their eyes and stretch. Kim smiles at Nikita, “I think we are good to go. Do you want to boot it up and we will test it?”

Sceptically, Nikita thinks, “There is no way that this should work. It has only been a couple of hours, but you know what, nothing surprises me with these four.”

Nikita winks at Kim and clicks the button. The hologram fades and stays off for a moment, both in the conference room and the control room a mild feeling of panic starts to grow.

Kim closes her eyes, trying to hide the tears starting to form, “We did everything right. The codes were correct, we checked each others work and checked against Jim’s notes.” She psis in protest.

Tara psis her a hug, “Chill babe. The code was spot on but there is a lot of data to render, should be on in a few.”

“What if it isn’t?” Anya psis, while giving a silent prayer.

“Then we fix it. I am just troubleshooting the code for the ATC interface and so far all looks OK.” Ali psis.

Kim nods, “Ali’s right, we troubleshoot. I will take real time asset plotting.”

“I got Sheath networking.” Anya psis.

“I am on the bridge.” Tara psis.

Silence falls over the room as their inboxes, pings with request after request to revert to original settings. Nikita fields the requests and says that they are waiting for the data to render and it may take a few moments longer.

“Got it. Missing full stop, creating a runtime error, have corrected and rebooted.” Tara psis, with a real world sigh of relief.

The hologram blinks rapidly, flashing faster and faster until it coalesces into a cohesive 3D image of the city, with the positions of every trapped individual plotted in red, with shuttles plotted in blue showing available capacity and rescue personnel in green.

Nikita nods appreciatively, selecting the a group of red dots clustered together. This brings up a number of deployment options for close personnel. With a click she sends instructions to a small team of Saviour’s Guard, detailing location and number of individuals.



“Gideon to Saviour, over.” A young man’s voice says over comms.

“I read you Gideon, over.” Nikita says calmly.

“Team converging on target location. It is an old church. Structure seems in tact. Unit on approach over.” The man says, slightly out of breath as if running.

“Copy that.” Nikita says over comms, then nods to the girls, “Now we wait.”

Five minutes pass, then five more in breathless silence, before the radio crackles, “Gideon to Saviour. We have fifty individuals for transport to safe zone, plus four walking wounded and an individual with a head wound and possible concussion.”

Nikita silently punches the air, “Roger that,” she says calmly, then selects appropriate air support options from the interface and clicks send, “Two shuttles and a medivac inbound.”

Less than three minutes later the radio crackles again, “Gideon to Saviour. Pick up complete. Awaiting next assignment.”

Nikita smiles and clicks on the team and links them to another nearby cluster and sends the details. “Thank you Gideon, next assignment is about a block north. Report findings to control centre from now on.”

“Roger that, has been an honour to be selected for the first test.” He says warmly.

Nikita disengaged her systems from comms and turns her chair to the girls and the man stood behind them. “First test is a success. Divide the city into two block grids, keep unit deployment to within set areas. When areas are cleared, use units to consolidate neighbours. For every four man team checking multi survivor clusters, have four two man teams checking the individuals and pairs in the area. Start with a staged roll out over ten sectors and double it every hour, until we are covering whole city.”

The man smiles, with an almost palpable feel of the tension leaving his body, “Thank you Saviour. I will get the guys on it.” He walks towards the door and turns to face Kim and her sisters, “Great work.” He says with a thumbs up.

With the door closed behind him, Kim turns red faced to Nikita, “We made a mistake.”

“And?” Nikita says with a shrug, “You realised it and found a solution. Next time, you will be more careful.” She says assuringly. “Now. Take five. We will be out in the dispatch centre, troubleshooting dispatch issues and system concerns soon. It will be a long day.”



Dani stands on the abandoned street in the heart of town. She dons her Atlantean helmet for a moment and confirms no survivors are in the area.

She reaches across the barrier and pulls across a large clump of necrotic matter. In the living world she forms a large plough, which carves effortlessly down the street, pushing debris away from the centre of the street to the sides.

“That’s the easy part done.” She says, stepping into the dead world and closing her eyes, until the avalanche of souls has washed through her to the Great Beyond.

Dani stumbles back into the living world and leans against a lamp post to steady herself. She lights a cigarette and takes a deep lungful, before she reaches out with her mind.

She slowly opens her eyes and flexes her spiritual muscles. A moment later the dead in the buildings around her begin to move slowly.

An hour later, the last body lays down in the street. Line upon line of neatly arranged corpses fill the street.

Dani nods to herself, “This is not glamorous or glorious work, but each person here is somebody’s special someone and their fates will be known. More importantly, no one will need to risk their life to find them.”

“Angel to control. Fallen pick up ready for collection at my location, over.” Dani says over comms.

“Control to Angel, recieved and understood, pick up inbound.” A disembodied voice says.

“Roger that control, heading to sector 75 18, over.” Dani says, before sending a plume of smoke skyward.

Dani takes a moment in the silence after the call and says a silent prayer for the dead. The stubs out her smoke and drops it into a bin then sprouts wings, as white as her hair and launches herself into the sky.



Sasha makes her way through the packed triage centre settling into the rhythm of the large tent. The ebbs and floes of crying and consolation wash over her. On the one hand she is determined to see the head of the Phlogiston Order, but on the other, she is eager to get stuck in and help those around her.

As the two sides battle inside her, she feels a gentle hand on her shoulder, “Sasha? I am so pleased you could make it, as you can see we have a rush on.”

Sasha turns to face the source of the voice and finds herself looking up at a statuesque blond almost six foot tall with the kindest eyes she has ever seen. “Angela?” she asks, recognising her from the meeting and feeling the commanding presence of the imposing woman.

Angela nods, “Welcome to bedlam. We have had two births, about a thousand broken bones and a couple of rectal blockages due to the victim losing their balance when the tremors hit, plus countless lacerations and concussions from falls and that is in the last hour. We are swamped.”

“Don’t do yourself down. Your people are doing great.” Sasha says, with a smile.

“Maybe, but we can’t get people through fast enough and we are backing up.” Angela says, dismayed with a hint of despondency.

Sasha senses the feeling of defeat in the other woman and flexes her shoulders and cracks her neck, “In that case, get a team of nurses, who already good with lacerations to clear cuts and bruises set up near the exit, that way once people are patched up they can get out quickly. Assess concussion near the entrance, chances are that they will need treatment for something else.”

She scans the room and the room leading off from it and points, “Broken bones over there near the x-ray station. They can be checked out quickly and moved toward the exit for their bones to be reset and limbs to be plastered. If they need further treatment then they can be moved on.”

Angela nods, thoughtfully while Sasha continues, “My point is that your people are doing well, but if we can divide the area into zones with related specialities, it becomes less about individual skill and more about team support. To be fair, it doesn’t matter where the sections are. Dedicate a section near the entrance for triage, then split this area into different injury types and have a support team not assigned to any area responsible for moving the infirm between sections.”

Seeing the desperation in Angela’s eyes, Sasha smiles, “Tell you what. Let’s have a sit down and plan it all out. It won’t take long and should help get any displaced individuals with injuries clear the site quicker.”

Angela marvels as Sasha draws up a plan before her eyes, dividing up the internal space of the centre, assigning medical staff and planning when to move different teams to minimise disruption. “You are really good at this. We have been structuring around skilled individuals up to now, but this structure makes a lot of sense.”

Sasha smiles and shrugs, “In the last six months, I have been primary medic for the aftermath of two tropical storms, a post monsoon flood that displaced a million people, three city wide riots and a hotel fire. Doesn’t matter what it is, the circumstances may change but the core remains the same.”

Angela listens fascinated, “We are used to the aftermath of battles and incursions, but nothing like this.”

“Happy to help.” Sasha says, giving her a nudge, “Besides, it’s a chance to get to know my new sister in law.”

“I must admit, I’m glad for the chance too.” Angela says, “Look, it is probably going to be a hell of a day today and I know it is a big ask, however, if you wanted to pitch in with the backlog it would really help us out.”

With a flourish, Sasha is wearing surgical scrubs and smiles, “I’m not here to be a tourist. Where do you want me?”

For the briefest moment, the sunlight catches her hair perfectly and Angela thinks, “From what I have seen so far, I want you heading up every team.” But composes herself and says, “If you could run triage and the theatres, I will manage the main floor.”

“Sounds good. Anything I need to know?” Sasha asks, flourishing her medical bag into her hand.

“We have a projected output of fifteen thousand patients per day at this centre and currently we have enough supplies to treat an army and four thousand doses of PCS with another ten thousand due tomorrow.” Angela explains.

“What?” Sasha asks, without warmth, “Where did you get PCS?”

“Nikita gifted Atlantis with a PCS synthesiser. We have copied the design and now have banks of them in operation.” Angela answers nervously, tensing ready to defend herself.

Sasha let’s a long slow breath out relax her for a moment, before she speaks, “I wonder why she didn’t mention it.” She says, thinking aloud.

“I don’t know why she hasn’t told you, but it has transformed Atlantis in so many ways. With everything she does, she improves our realm. She is like a gift from the gods.” Angela says, with a smile of admiration.

Sasha let’s her anger go and breaks into a smile, “Yeah, she always lifts those around her.” She cracks her neck and gives Angela a wink, then extends her arm towards the door, “Shall we whip this place into shape?”



Alex stands at the base of the giant dam and marvels at the almost black roiling clouds overhead. “Well, we are not in Kansas anymore.”

He casts his gaze back to the dam and watches his Atlantean counterparts scramble up the side of the structure, securing deep-set pitons and cables in a web across its face.

He raises his hand and waves at an older man in overalls and jogs over. He skids to a halt and extends his hand, “Corven?”

“Thank you for coming Alex, we are set up on top of the dam.” Corven says taking the younger soldiers hand and shaking it vigorously.

“The dam looks fairly stable and intact from this side. Where are the stress points you have found so far?” Alex asks, briskly walking alongside the Guild Master.

“From this side, you can’t really see it. However, their is a massive crack water side with several fissures splitting off of it.” Corven exhales slowly and pinches the bridge of his nose, “The Esoteric’s are doing a great job of draining the reservoir, however, with the reduction of pressure on the water side we are seeing some signs that the dam is weakening on that side.”

They ride the makeshift cable car to the top of the lift in silence and the roaring of the water grows louder. Corven produces two pairs of ear defenders and once they are both wearing them he speaks over their comms, “The act of drawing up water into the sky by force is louder than we guessed. At the top it is deafening.”

Alex gasps as they crest summit of the dam and he is met with the sight of the surface of the reservoir, sailing skywards on hot powerful winds. “This is incredible.”

“I said the same thing when I first saw it. Although, I swore a lot more.” Corven says, with a chuckle.

Alex glances at the top wall of the dam seeing several individuals in robes, their faces turned toward the storm. “OK. I am about to step onto a dam in another dimension, where Sorcerors are conjuring a storm so that Atlantean engineers can repair it, all is normal, all is well.”

The cable car settles and Corven steps out with his arms flailing. One of the Sorcerors turns and waves, before striding over.

When the man joins them he extends his hand to Alex. “Alex this is Phobos, head Esoterican.” Corven says.

“Good to meet you.” Alex says with a smile.

“Thought it would be good for you to see this before we evacuate. The reservoir will take four hours to drain as it stands, however my people predict that the dam will collapse in three.” Corven says with a grim smile.

Alex looks over the edge at the churning water below and thinks to himself, “My daughter is in the city and if the dam goes she will be in danger.”

He turns back to the two older men and speaks softly over comms, “I have a few tanks of HeliOx with me. If you can get me a diver team and some sealant that will set underwater, we can drive out moisture from the crack.” He turns to Phobos, “Do you think your people could create a wall of ice in the water side to support the dam?”

“Ooooh, that’s bold.” Phobos confirms, with a nod. “I have a team that can make that happen.”

Corven nods with a look of surprise, “I have a few engineers that fit the bill and we have a sealant that would do what you are looking for.”

“Let’s get this done. Then we can take a look at the power plant.” Alex says with a confident smile.



Moses stands in the doorway of a container shuttle and shakes his head in dismay. Below the craft panicked survivors scramble over themselves to claim a place in the inbound shuttles.

Out of the corner he catches a movement as the man next to him raises his rifle with a look of fear in his eyes.

Moses calmly places his hand on the barrel of the man’s weapon and gently pushes it down. The imposing Alaskan, speaks softly, both to the man and over comms, “No son. When you face those only armed with fear, the only weapons you should wield are kindness and courage. Lay down your arms. Let’s do this right.”

He looks out across the shattered town square and nods to himself, “Anywhere we land, will cause a surge from the crowd and make this a blood bath. If we had more people for crowd control it might work here, but....” he trails off, deep in thought.

He keys the loud speaker on this suit and stands at the lip on the craft and takes a deep breath before unleashing a thunderous and almost deafening whistle, bringing a moment of surprised silence over the crowd.

“Thank you everyone.” Moses bellows, “This will be a primary pick up point. To speed things up, we will not land our shuttles, we will ferry you up to a shuttle. When the shuttle is full it will move off and the next will take its place.”

The man next to him looks confused, Moses turns of his loudspeaker and speaks to the man, “Civilians don’t live by orders, they live by rules. Most people are law abiding and conditioned by society to follow the rules, even in times of stress.” He nods towards the crowd, “Now they know the rules. This will be slower, but, so much safer for them.”

The other man, smiles back at him and nods, sending a message out to the rest of the fleet, about setting the rules, which gets a thumbs up from across the network.

Moses nods to the soldier, flying the craft and gets a thumbs up. Then he pats the other soldier on the shoulder and they drop from the craft into the crowd. A moment later they return with two survivors each and as the pilot shows them where to sit, the two soldiers have already dropped for the next four.

Four and a half minutes after the announcement of the rules, the craft is full and ready to head off.

Moses sees the next craft approaching and taps the other soldier on the shoulder, “I’m going to stay here and help get people onto the aircraft.”

The other soldier salutes and pats him on the back. “Thanks man, I really appreciate your advise. I owe you a beer.”

Moses grins back, “You get the beer and I’ll get the wings, brother.” He shakes his hand and waves to the pilot before dropping back down to the street.



The screen dominating the room, shows a real time rendered image of the rescue operations hologram, showing green dots converging on red dots and then loading them onto blue dots around the city.

Halpron studies the tablet in front of him checking progress reports from rescue operations, the dam and the triage centre. He nods in caution satisfaction, “So far, so good. Deployment levels are twelve percent up on projections and the new changes are working well.”

He is interrupted by a soft knock at the door. “Come.” The King commands, staying focused on the tablet.

King Halpron sends a quick message of thanks out to the Pillars and glances up to see Titus approach with a pot of coffee and two cups in hand. “He has brushed his hair and changed his shirt and tie since the meeting. He looks a bit more like his usual self.” He observes.

“Your Majesty, I thought you might appreciate some refreshments.” Titus says, with a smile, “May I speak with you?”

“We are behind closed doors cousin. No need for formality here.” Halpron indicates a seat, “Please join me. I am just checking progress and the operations are going better than expected.”

Titus pours each of them a coffee and takes a seat. He raises a cup in toast, “Your good health, Hal.”

“And your good health.” He says raising his cup and clinking his cousin. “How have you been?”

Titus slumps back in his seat, “I can’t do this anymore.” He confesses, “The stakes here have always been high, but in the last day, ten million have been displaced and countless thousands have been killed and there is nothing I can do.”

King Halpron places a hand on the other man’s shoulder, “I have been where you are. Standing on a cliffs edge, nose to nose with the abyss. I learned that if I step back from the edge, I have good people, friends and more behind me.”

“I gotta say, I look back and feel real alone at times.” Titus sighs, “Although I must say, the meeting helped.”

“Titus, I am always here for you. You can always come to me.” Halpron says, supportively, “You have stood by me and listened as I have poured out my woes, since we were kids. When we served in the Atlantean military, we were brothers and we still are.”

“Thank you Hal. You have no idea what that means.” Titus says, with an air or relief. “I always have your back too.”

“Thank you Titus.” Halpron says, “Actually, I need something from you.”

“Name it.” Titus says without hesitation.

“Not many people know, but I have asked Nikita to marry me and she has said yes. You are my oldest and best friend. I know it is terrible timing, however would you be my best man?” Halpron asks, sincerely.

Titus almost chokes on a sip of coffee. When he has finishes coughing, he chuckles, “Took you bloody long enough to ask her. I told you the day I met her, that you needed to marry that girl.”

“Yeah, yeah. You were right.” Halpron says with his hands raised, “I was waiting for the right moment, until I realised that with Niki any moment, is the right moment and I needed to stop stalling.”

“For goodness sake man, I wish you had said something. I could have brought something a bit more appropriate to the occasion than coffee.” Titus snorts, before patting Halpron on the shoulder, “I am so pleased for you. I would be honoured to be your best man.”

“Thank you my friend.” Halpron says with a smile, “She is my world and I cannot imagine a life without her.”

Titus spontaneously get up from his seat and hugs his cousin, “I am so proud of you. You have no idea how many calls Angela and I have had over the years about you finding someone to fill you heart rather than satisfy your sense of duty.”

“Really? How do you mean?” Halpron asks, confused.

“We were always worried it would be some Random noble from the realms, chosen for her ability to strengthen your position on the throne, because the old ways dictate such things” Titus says, “Glad you have followed your heart. You have lived for the crown and thought nothing of what is good for you. She is the best thing that has ever happened to you.”

Halpron sits back stunned, “I could never offer my hand to someone I couldn’t or didn’t love.”

Titus smiles and nods, “This is why you are a good king. You think differently to your father and those who came before. You follow your heart, not tradition.”

“Niki has taught me a lot. She has taught me to listen to my heart and go with my gut.” Halpron says thoughtfully, “Mostly, she has taught me what it means to love.”

“A blind man could see that.” Titus smiles, “When the dust settles from this earthquake, we will raise a glass.”

“Count on it.” King Halpron says, with a satisfied smile, “One that note, things appear to be off to a good start with the relief operation, what say, we go through it then call Lyonesse about some help with rebuilding.”

[GreyLord]

The family continues to show its strength. They are making a difference in this natural catastrophe.

[Caesar73]

This extraordinary family acting together is such a good thing to see. They are all so very different characters - which tells us something about your ability to create convincing Characters - and yet they work together as one @wolfman

[wolfman]

@GreyLord @Caesar73

It has been a nice challenge to write characters who normally are up to their necks in conflict showing a different side to their characters.

[Caesar73]

Indeed a nice challenge - but I find it also rewarding when it works out - developing characters is always fun You did well @wolfman

[GreyLord]

You are meeting that challenge very well, @wolfman.

[wolfman]

@Bandit666 @Caesar73 @GreyLord @slackywacky

From the moment she and her sisters stepped out onto the control room floor, they had no rest.

Kim, Anya and Ali would take a pod of four dispatchers each and take them through the dispatch process. Until all were comfortable and then they moved to the next. At the same time Tara was walking through domestic technical support on programming and system architecture for the new software.

Nikita kept the system updated by uploading hourly amendments to the living survivor file.

Aside from a couple of minor glitches, which were quickly identified and remedied, the rest of the morning went well.

Nikita crosses the dispatch floor waving for the girls attention as they wrap up with the last team. “Team KATA! Front and centre, you are needed at the main triage centre. They need something quick and intuitive for writing and posting notes on treatment that can be easily retrieved. You up to the challenge?”

Kim and her sisters exchange a wary glance, “What about operations here?”

Nikita gives them a wink as she approaches “Teams are trained and tech support are up to speed. If anything big comes up, we can call.” Once she is close enough she smiles wearily, “In this kind of operation, things can change in an instant.”

“We get that, but, we wanted to stay on to make sure everything works right.” Kim protests weakly.

Nikita smiles and softens her body language, “I get it, love. But the truth is, for now you have done all you can here and they need your help at the sharp end. You have proven you can make a difference. Now are you ready to show how much you can achieve?”

“You know what?” Ali psis, “We could set up a new system for them and link it to what we have done here, to carry notes from medevac teams to triage and then from triage to general files. This would give a complete picture.”

“I am going to get a list of pre-selected options together to make categorising injuries and treatments together.” Anya psis.

“Sounds good, I’m already pulling a framework for basic entry and retrieval framework.” Tara psis, visualising the code for the new system.

From Nikita’s perspective less than a second passes before Kim says, “OK but, promise us that you will call us if you need us.”

“You got it.” Nikita says, with a smile.



Sasha moves her fingers before the woman’s eyes, noting the lag in eye tracking and cut on forehead. After the hearing check, she leans down and speaks softly, “It appears they have a bit of a concussion.” She beckons over an orderly and continues, “This man is going to take you for an x-ray and a CAT scan just to be on the safe side, but I think you should be OK.”

As the man is being wheeled off for his scans, the cry of, “Crash, crash, crash.” Is heard clearly over the regular burble of conversation and treatment.

With an arrester assisted leap, Sasha is at the stricken man’s side. She places a hand on his chest and detects no pulse. With a flourish a syringe is in her hand. She plunges the needle into his chest and pushes down the adrenaline loaded plunger, before repositioning her hand.

She repositioning her right hand, placing it over her patients right peck and her other hand under their left armpit. A second later, a jolt blasts through his heart.

Sasha laces her fingers and locks her arms before commencing chest compressions. When the timer pings she places her hand over his heart and nods detecting a pulse.

She looks up at the attending nurse, “Close monitoring 72 hours. Possible treatment of blood thinner, steroids, oxygen and PCS.”

Sasha writes her report via neural interface and sends it off, before turning to the next man.

Using the interface she records her observations in real time, “Middle aged man, smart dress, covered in brick dust, unresponsive to external stimuli.” She checks his paperwork, “Brought in from multi floor parking structure after collapse.”

She frowns looking at the slight yellow tinge to his skin and checks his eyes, “Sister? This man was pulled from a the rubble of a building and early indications are that he has suffered organ damage. Can we get him a scan and prep a surgical team, before we begin treatment for renal failure?”

The severe looking sister, stares at Sasha, “That is a bit premature, he has not had any examinations to confirm your diagnosis.”

Sasha glares at the sister, “Do you really want to argue with me while his organs are slowly shutting down?”

The two women stare each other down, until the sister looks at the floor, “Of course, Doctor.”

Two orderlies wheel the man away and Sasha looks up to see, Kim and her sisters staring at her. She softens slightly, “Good afternoon, how is your day going?”

A moment of silence passes, before an awestruck Kim speaks, “I thought seeing you fight was awesome. We have never seen this side of you. You are awesome.”

Sasha blushes slightly, “Nah years of work and hard practice.” She sees the same look on the faces of the other girls, “Welcome to triage. As you can see, we are having a day of it.”

“We have had a few thoughts, but looking at the chaos here, we will have to rethink.” Tara says, trying to take in the scale of the operation.

“As far as we know, everyone has a Sheath and is using the direct neural interface to write notes on the fly then sending them to a central address to be sent out when requested.” Ali explains, unsure.

Sasha nods, “Yes, not ideal really.”

“Simple way forward, we create a notice board that assigns a random number to an uploaded note and the attending Sister or Doctor writes the number on the patients arm or leg in permanent marker. The note name can be changed at a later date, before the marker fades, when patient data confirmed.” Anya suggests.

“Simple is best. As you can probably see, no one has time for complicated. How quickly can you set it up?” Sasha asks, beaming a smile.

Kim and her sisters smile at each other and wink, before turning to Sasha in unison and say, “Duplication proof random designation generator will take twenty minutes, with open access for networked medical personnel adding another hour or so. Biggest problem projected to be obtaining enough pens.”

“Sounds about right.” Sasha says, thoughtfully, then pauses for a few moments, “I have messaged Corven, he is going to try to get us a few cases of pens and he would like a copy of the finished software when it is ready.”



In the silt heavy gloom at the base of the dam, Alex float weightless with the help of his arrester. “Took a while but I think we have the crack sealed at least. Better get up top and let Phobos and his people work their magic.” He chuckles to himself, “Actual magic.”

His humour is short lived hearing a low rumbling and feeling the shaking of the water around him, “Shit. Aftershock.” He thinks, using thrust from his arrester to blast away from the wall.

“Damn it comms are down.” He thinks as his messages fail to send. “Must be close to the turbines for the power plant. Even out if commission, the electromagnets are blocking our signals.”

He approaches the dam and hovers still in the water for a moment watching the silt and fearing the worst. He watches as the silt begins to flow turgidly upwards.

Slowly, he ascends in the current and feels it tug the water around him. “This is bad. I think the aftershock has breached the dam and we have a leak. The longer it flows the more damage it could do. I have half a tank of sealant, but have no idea if it will be enough.”

He uses his arrester to blast through the water following the patterns of silt in the water finding their destination, “The breach isn’t too large, maybe a foot across but it must penetrate the whole dam.”

Hovering in the water, he considers his options and thinks about the few items he has stored in extra dimensional pockets, finding only camping gear.

Noticing two other divers approaching he signs, “Dam breach. We need to seal.”

When he gets blank looks in return, he produces a tarpaulin from a pocket and points to one man, then points to a corner and points to the other man and points to another corner, before pointing to himself and the at the bottom of the sheet.

The others nod and take the corner and Alex takes the bottom and approaches the breach. The three of them stretch the tarp out and coat one side with the sealant. One of the divers begins to move towards the hole but Alex tugs on the tarp and signals for him to wait when he turns, thinking, “Need to let it cure a little and put this on at the last minute so it sticks.”

The three diver hang in the water, pushing against the current until Alex gives the all clear. They allow some slack in the tarp to allow it to be partially pushed into the hole before Alex draws his sealant fun and begins coating the exposed side of the tarp with layer after layer of sealant.

After a moment the other divers catch on and begin unloading their sealant as well. Alex nods as the sealant builds up slowly, “Good, looks like it will hold long enough to create a sealant bung to plug the hold for a bit and buy us some time. When I get up top I need to have a word with Corven about teaching his divers sign language for non radio communication underwater.



A muffled gunshot cracks through the otherwise calm air above the extraction point. Moses rapidly ascends and scans the surrounding area. “Shit, what was that.” He thinks.

“Moses to control, gunshot heard in my vicinity, confirm. Over.” Moses signals over comms.

“Confirm Moses, there is a market four blocks east of your location. Local forces responding to reports of looting. Over.” Control reports.

“Damn it, the day is bad enough without this. Get a medevac on standby and show me attending, over.” Moses says, cracking his neck.

“Roger that.” Control confirms.

“If you can spare anyone, send back-up to evac point. We are starting to get choked up here. Over.” Moses calls out commanding his suit to take him to the source of the gunfire.

“We have a two man team, wrapping up a survivor recovery, they will arrive at evac in three minutes.” Control confirms, calmly.

“Thank you appreciate the assist. Have a good day.” Moses says, impressed with the response.



The former market is barricaded by a thin blue line of Haven Security Guards, barely containing a crowd of a couple of dozen survivors.

Moses circles the large building a couple of times thoughtfully, “Large space, mostly intact. I have an idea, but we need to get things under control first.”

He flies over the crowd and lands next to the terrified looking Guards. Most carry rifles, except for one with epaulettes with a pistol. The Guards stare fearfully at him, as he glides is with open hands, “Easy fellas, I am a friend.”

The young wary man with the pistol steps forward, “Captain Lewis, HSG. Who are you?” He says, nervously.

“Moses, I am with the Atlanteans. What’s going on here?” The big American asks, gently.

“This is the last market in town and we are trying to control access, but we are so stretched.” Lewis says, defeated.

“Snap out of it son.” Moses says, putting his hand on the officer shoulder, “I have an idea, but you need to trust me.” The officer nods rapidly.

Moses turns to the crowd, “OK people, here’s the deal. This is a solid structure and well placed to serve as a food distribution centre for this part of the city. We are going to bring in additional supplies and spread the word. If you agree to become deputised and assist with ensuring all comers get their fair share, then a guaranteed package of supplies will be set aside for you and your families. If not, you can take some supplies and be on your way.”

Moses turns back to Lewis, finding him on the radio. He waits for him to holster the handset, before he speaks, “You OK with this.”

“Just called it in. Supplies inbound and happy to deputise any willing to help.” Lewis says, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Do you need to clear it with your chain of command?” Moses asks, scrutinising the man.

Lewis takes Moses by the arm and leads him out of earshot of the other guards, “The higher command staff of the HSG, were all on a meeting at HQ, when the after shock hit. I was out on a dawn raid.” He removes his cap and runs his fingers through his hair, “The HQ was levelled. I am the highest ranked living guard in the city. I am the chain of command.”

“Oh man, that’s rough. Is there anyone you can call in?” Moses asks, striking his chin.

“The other cities have different structures and are thin on the ground as it is. The best I can hope for is to keep things ticking over, until we can recruit some more guards.” Lewis says.

“How many have you got? What are they doing now?” Moses asks, seeing how out of his depth the man is.

“Around two hundred scattered across the city. They are helping survivors where they can but the scale of this is too much.” Lewis hangs his head, “I am on the verge of standing everyone down and letting them go back to their loved ones. I can’t do this.”

Moses places his hands on the man’s shoulders and addresses him is a low, powerful voice, “Don’t give me that. There is no one else. Right here, right now, you are the man that has been chosen by this moment in history. Now there are a lot of good people here that need your help, what are you gonna do about it?”

The man closes his eyes and lowers his head. When he looks up, he nods grimly. “I signed up, to make a difference. Now I have a chance to, I can’t back down.”

“Good man. Get yourself out there.” Moses says, “Show them that you are in charge. You got this.”

Lewis straightens his cap, adjusts his shirt and looks up at Moses, “Thanks man. Any chance you could stick around? I could use a little help.”

“Lead the way, chief.” Moses says, giving a reassuring wink.

Lewis takes a slow deep breath and steps out front to see his men, with weapons slung, talking to those who have volunteered. He surveys the crowd, “This is my core team. Only about thirty people, but can make a difference.”

“Look alive people, we need to get cracking to be able to manage distribution here. I need a few teams. One to clear the area out here. One to set up distribution points neat the entrance. Another to plan a route for survivors to come in, pass distribution points and get out cleanly.” He looks to Moses for support.

“We need to set up a command post in one of the office upstairs and clear the loading area for craft to land. If anyone has any medical experience, we need a team on standby to help walking wounded and get them sent to the triage centre if need be.” Moses barks.

The four guards under Lewis’ command each lead a four person team, while Lewis takes a team to set up a command post. Moses smiles at the last remaining team of a retired nurse and a retired army medic, “We will set up out here and keep an eye on people in line.”



Dani opens the door to her assigned room in the presidential Palace and cracks her neck.

She gently closes the door behind her and has a quick look around the room. Finding it empty, she thinks, “That’s something. Not sure I can handle sharing a room tonight. I just want to relax.”

With a click, she turns of the bathroom light and fan, then closes the door. She closes the door to the bathroom and sits on the lid of the toilet, lighting a cigarette.

She takes a deep lungful and holds it for a moment, before slowly breathes out, “That was a rough day.”

Dani shuts her eyes for a moment, remembering each of the four thousand plus souls that passed through her, leaving their pain behind on the way to the Great Beyond. Shaky fingers bring the cigarette to her lips, with each curl of smoke leaving her lips twisting into the face of someone whose souls she has helped, before fading, as she purges herself.

Two cigarettes later, she steps naked into the shower and scrubs her skin raw with a pumice stone. She allows the hot jet of water to dance across her body as if washing away her pain.

The soft warmth of the towel makes her sigh as she dries every inch of her body. “That is a really good shower, I never thought I would feel clean after today, but now I need stillness after a day of noise and sensation.

She pulls necrotic matter from across the barrier and crafts a loose fitting pair of underwear, sweatshirt and tracksuit bottoms and steps back out of the bathroom.

Barefoot, she crosses the room to the mini-fridge and takes out a bottle of sparkling water, then slumps on the edge of the bed. The cool bottle feels good on her forehead, before she opens it and downs it almost in one go. She tosses the bottle into the bin on the first try.

Dani smiles, “Small victories are the best.”

She flops back on the bed and spreads her arms and legs enjoying the firmness of the mattress at her back. She lays back and closes her eyes, feeling the clothing she wears shift around her body.

Instinctively she opens her mouth to gasp, but the necrotic matter of her clothes, flows into her mouth, filling it utterly and moulding itself to her teeth and gums, forcing her mouth wide, turning to solid rubber.

She tries to scream, but what the rubber in her mouth doesn’t silence, the sleeve of rubber from just under her nose to the base of her throat, encasing her neck, does.

Dani claws at the rubber with her fingers, until more matter encases her hands, pulling them into fists. She moans softly, when the coating of her fists, flows up her arm to just above the elbow, like a hellish opera glove. A moment later, tendrils from her wrists, snag the bedframe and pull her arms up.

Feeling herself summon more necrotic matter she writhes against her bonds. However, she already knows that she is powerless to stop her ankles becoming encased and feels her legs secured to the foot of the bed.

A sense of peace fills her eyes, when she feels her limbs pulled tightly to the four corners of the bed. A peace that becomes a stillness, as the sleeve covering her throat and mouth, slowly spreads inexorably upwards, until her head and face are covered, leaving only a small gap under her nose for her to breath.

Dani’s cries are barely audible as she thrashes and pulls at her impossibly strong bonds. Aside from the mask covering her face and neck, and the rubber encasing her hands arms and ankles, she is naked, clothed only in the sweat of her exertions.

A strange sense of calm, washes over her immobilised body, as she make peace with her helplessness. Dani lays back, silent and helpless in darkness, unable to move.

She lays back, exposed and helpless, soon losing track of time. Eventually her mind goes blank.

Her blood runs cold, hearing the door to the room open and then close and a woman gasp, before a slightly familiar voice says, “Well, what have we here?”

[GreyLord]

The nonstop action and adventure continue. Unexpected ending with Dani. Well done.

[wolfman]

The nonstop action and adventure continue. Unexpected ending with Dani. Well done.

You know me, @GreyLord, i like to throw in a surprise every so often.

[Caesar73]

The End was really a surprise Dani seems to know the Woman - who may it be? Excellent!

[Bandit666]

How can I put this, awesome, intriguing, fantastic and delightful. With yet another one of your little twists at the end. Keep it and we will all be waiting for more with baited breath

[wolfman]

The End was really a surprise Dani seems to know the Woman - who may it be? Excellent!

Indeed, a slightly familiar voice in the darkness.

How can I put this, awesome, intriguing, fantastic and delightful. With yet another one of your little twists at the end. Keep it and we will all be waiting for more with baited breath

You are too kind, thank you for your kind words. I thank you for your patronage up till now and rest assured that more is in store

[wolfman]

Dani shifts uncomfortably on the bed, hearing soft footsteps crossing the room. She feels the side of the bed slightly compress, as someone sits down next to her.

“Easy, just relax. I am not here to hurt you.” The woman says, gently. “Sorry about this, it’s all a bit last minute. I am King Halpron’s sister, Angela. Rooms are a bit tight here and I have been assigned this room with you.”

Dani flushes with embarrassment, under the gag, mask and blindfold, feeling the woman pull on her restraints. “This is so humiliating.” She thinks, wishing the ground would swallow her up.

“Shhhh. You are safe. I’m just trying to work out how to get you free.” She says softly, while she examines Dani's restraints, “There are no seams or joins in any of your restraints. Did you do this to yourself?”

Dani thinks for a moment, before subtly nodding and laying her head back on the pillow.

“Can you release yourself?” Angela says, trying to pull the blindfold off.

Dani shakes her head. “I can’t believe this. She is the last person I would want to find me like this. If she tells Hal, it will be so embarrassing for Nikita.”

“Hmmm.” Angela says, thoughtfully, “When I said to Sasha about how short the Palace was on room and that I would be sharing with you, she told me that about six months ago she found you wrapped like a mummy in your room.”

Dani feels Angela gently lift her head and adjust her pillow before laying her head back down. “It appears to be a sub-conscious manifestation of your abilities.” Angela says, speculatively, “If we accept that your mind is exercising your abilities, to do this to you, then the possibility exists, that when we can understand why, we can prevent it from happening again.”

Dani squirms on the bed pulling against her bonds. Angela places a cool gentle hand on Dani’s stomach and coos, “Shhhh. Calm down, we can get through this. Do you understand, what I am saying so far?”

After a moments thought, Dani nods her understanding and Angela continues, “OK, let’s look at the obvious. The way you are bound. You look quite comfortable, not stretched or in physical distress so I don’t think this is about self punishment.”

Angela lights a cigarette and places an ash tray on Dani’s stomach, “Sorry, I am just pinching one of your ciggies. I don’t smoke often, but I find that it helps focus the mind, when confronted with a perplexing problem.”

Dani wiggles her body trying to shift the cold ash tray from her stomach and almost inaudibly moans in protest. She thinks, “I wish she would stop talking to me as if I am a case study.”

“Careful, you will knock it off.” Angela chastises, before carrying on, “Where was I? Ah yes, it isn’t about punishment. But looking at the way you are bound, you are pinned down naked, as the day you were born.” She takes a lungful of smoke and taps the ash off of her cigarette in the ash tray, “You are exposed. Helpless. Vulnerable. This isn’t about you punishing yourself, it could be about you exposing your feelings of weakness.” She says, with a dawning realisation.

Dani nods, subtly and mumbles her agreement, thinking, “Even though she is wrong, she may have a point there.”

“You have had a day, pushing your abilities and dealing with the dead and your mind is doing this to push back.” Angela says, speculating.

Angela lays on the bed next to Dani puts her head on the pillow, blowing smoke rings at the ceiling. “So that being said, the only way to get you to release yourself, would be to dispel your feelings of weakness and vulnerability.”

Dani tries to swallow, thinking, “I hate this. I want this over with.”

Angela absent-mindedly strokes the soft skin of Dani’s arm, with the back of her fingers and blows smoke at the bound woman, “So we need to convince your sub-conscious self of how strong you are, then we can get you free.” She stubs out the cigarette and leaves it in the ash tray and gets off of the bed, “I need to think about this. Don’t worry, we will get you out of this.” She says assuringly.

Dani hears a rustling noise and feels Angela sit back on the bed. “Do you mind if I have something to eat? Has been a hell of a day.” Dani shrugs and nods, with a soft grunt.

Dani hears Angela unwrapping what she assumes to be a sandwich and take a bite. Angela takes a second bite of the filled baguette and sets it down on Dani’s chest, between her breasts, despite the other Dani’s moans and squirming in protest and indignation, as Angela’s fingers brush her naked breasts.

Angela looks down at Dani and opens a bottle of ice cold lager, she takes a long cold draught and then sets the bottle down between Dani’s legs. Dani gasps at the cold bottle intruding into her private space and begins furiously bucking her hips to move it. Angela frowns and gives a gentle but firm slap to Dani’s abdomen. “Behave, you don’t want to spill it.”

Angela moves the ashtray off of Dani’s stomach and then pick up her sandwich again, with her fingers inadvertently, brushing the bound woman’s right breast. She takes another bite and chews thoughtfully, then sets it down again between Dani’s breasts.

She licks some excess sauce from the corner of her mouth, then leans down and kisses the spot where a dab of sauce landed near to Dani’s left nipple and sighs, “Such a shame, I could spend all night watching you writhe about like this It’s probably the sexiest thing I have seen all year, however, it’s time to end this.” She picks up her sandwich and sets it on the bedside table and then places the bottle beside it.

“If it was your subconscious was intent on exposing your weakness, it would have left the door open, to increase your risk of being discovered.” She sighs and brushes her hair from her face, “If your subconscious was powerful enough to do that, you would have lashed out subconsciously to protect yourself, when I came in, or when I put the ashtray or sandwich on you, or even when I began touching you.” Angela says, calmly, “Your sub conscious didn’t lash out, not because it wasn’t powerful enough, but because you are in control and I believe you did this to yourself for some reason.”

Dani listens in still silence to Angela’s assessment. “This isn’t happening. How can she know?” She thinks with a whimper, when the other woman finished speaking. She sends the necrotic matter of her cuffs, gag and blindfold back to the Dead World, then rolls onto her side and curls up into a ball.

Angela picks up a soft furry blanket and lays it over Dani, then moves around the bed to sit in a chair, and look Dani in the eyes, “I am not here to judge you. I sense that you are troubled and I want to help. You can talk to me. You might not know me, but when Niki saved mine and Hal’s lives, I swore to help Niki or any of her family who needed my help.”

Dani closes her eyes and pulls the blanket up to cover her face, without speaking.

“Let me guess, all day your mind and senses are flooded. In the quiet moments, your mind still races and you still feel unable to rest. The only way you can relax, is by rendering yourself helpless. With nothing you can do, you force yourself to do nothing, until a sense of quiet surrounds you.” Angela speculates.

“Sometimes the dead who I have helped cross over, haunt me. When I am in a state of self imposed helplessness, I can focus on the feeling and it helps me find peace. After Niki first left, I didn’t use my abilities and thought about not doing it again, but today has been so intense.” Dani says, softly. “Even on a normal day, I am hounded by flashbacks to the day Arno forced me to murder everyone on his island.”

Angela gently places a hand on her shoulder and rubs reassuringly, “I get it. Sometimes when I am running Triage during a conflict action, the screams of the injured, shouts of sisters and doctors and barking of soldiers flood my mind and I can’t keep them out. At the end of those days, I feel dazed and exhausted. I can’t think, I can’t sleep and I can’t eat.”

Dani lowers the blanket from her face and looks up at the other woman, taking in her gold locks, classic bone structure and full lips for the first time in the flesh. She also sees a crack in her polished exterior, reflecting the conflict within, “How do you deal with it?”

Angela blushes and hangs her head, before confessing, “I could tell you about a number of great coping mechanisms, that I use. Ranging from CBT, to the Talking Therapy. But if I am being honest, I have a really good, battery powered friend.”

Dani snorts a chuckle, “I thought you were going to come out with some ancient and esoteric technique lost to the sands of time.”

“Sorry to disappoint you.” Angela confesses, “Everyone is different, what works for some, may not work for all.

“I get that. I have tried all kinds of things to still my mind or at least mute it. Drink, drugs, carving the names of those who died on the island into my skin, you name it.” Dani closes her eyes trying to hide her tears, “Nothing works.”

Angela climbs onto the bed next to Dani and hugs her gently, “Some things are too big to cope with alone. I guess I am lucky that for me at least, nothing clears the mind, like a raging, bone shaking, full screaming, orgasm.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Dani says, the goes a deep shade of red, realising what she has just confessed.

Angela frowns, “Have you never?” she let’s the question hang in the air.

“I have had sex, but never climaxed.” Dani says, partially recovering her face. “I was undercover in a brothel, however, the emphasis was on the clients pleasure.”

Angela senses the mood change slightly in the room and recalls the way Dani looked, restrained on the bed. She sighs softly, “That is such a shame. If you ever need help with that, I am more than happy to assist.”

Dani smiles up at Angela and pulls the cover away fro her face again, “I’m flattered, but I’m not gay.” She says, coyly.

Angela scrunched up her nose and winks, “Don’t worry about that, love. I can be gay enough for both of us.”

“Are you always this forward, with your patients?” Dani asks, with raised eyebrows.

“Never, but you are a woman of rare beauty and I would kick myself, if I didn’t at least try.” Angela says with a shrug. “Mind you, what kind of medical professional would I be, if I didn’t encourage my patients to try new treatments which may benefit them.”

“I can’t hold it against you for trying.” Dani says and then smiles, “To be fair, you are stunning yourself.”

Angela smiles thinking of what might have been and sighs, “Pity.” She cracks her neck, “It's been a long day and I need a shower. If you need to strap yourself down for a bit to relax, it’s cool. I’ll try not to take advantage.”

Dani turns away in mock disgust and smiles to herself, “Funny. Just for that, I am going to eat your sandwich.”

Angela raises an eyebrow, “Is that a metaphor?”

Dani laughs and covers her mouth, “You’re terrible.”

“Actually, I have been told, I am quite good.” Angela says with a smile, then winks, “I am going to get myself hot and wet. Be back soon.” With a flourish, Angela’s clothing disappears and she turns away from Dani giving an extra wiggle of her pert, sculpted rear, as she enters the bathroom.



Dani sits up on the bed and listens to the trickle of water from the shower. She pulls the blanket tighter around herself and laughs to herself, “I kind of like Angela, she seems fun, if a little horny.”

She lights a cigarette and lays back on the bed, letting the smoke curl languidly from her lips. She rubs her temples and pinches the bridge of her nose, feeling the cavalcade of images rising again in her mind, with the image of Angela cutting through them.

Dani blows a plume of smoke at the ceiling and stretches feeling the fatigue in her body, but knowing her mind will not let her rest, as she pictures Angela kisses ing and caressing her tenderly.

It takes a moment for her to realise that the sound of the shower has stopped replaced by the gently purr of a hair dryer.

She sets the cigarette in the ash tray and takes a moment to step across the barrier before returning to the living world. Her body feels rejuvenated but there is still an underlying feeling of fatigue. In that moment, she makes a decision but isn’t entirely sure why.



Wearing only a thin silk dressing gown, Angela steps back into the room brushing her hair and her jaw drops open spying the vision lain on the bed. Dani lays back on the bed, arms and legs once again bound to its corners. A fine sheen of sweat, kisses her pale skin and she nervously licks her ruby red lips.

“Oh wow.” Angela gasps, trying to take the sight in.

Dani speaks softly, biting her lip nervously, “My subconscious appears to have tied me to the bed and I am utterly helpless. Please don’t take advantage of me.”

Angela gingerly approaches the bed, her mind racing, her breathing is shallow. She tentatively reaches down and pulls on the cuff around Dani’s ankle, “Seems solid.” She then checks the cuff around Dani’s wrist on her side of the bed. “Hmmm, seems very secure.”

Angela leans across the bed, allowing her robe to fall open, with her breasts achingly close to Dani’s face, as she checks the other wrist cuff.

Dani feels her breath become ragged in her throat, inhaling the scent of the woman above her. Angela leans in gently and whispers, “Nothing will happen, unless you want it to.”

Angela steps back from the bed and purses her lips in thought, before a small bottle appears in her hands, “Well, we tried force to get the cuffs off, maybe we just need a little lubrication.”

Dani watches Angela pour oil onto her hands and slowly rub them together, before tentatively, tenderly, placing her hands on the bound woman’s hips and slowly work her hands up to her breasts, leaving thin slicks of scented oil in their wake.

Dani shudders, feeling Angela cupping and kneading her breasts. As Angela squeezes Dani’s oil slicked breasts, they seem to spontaneously slip out from under her hands, until she recaptures them. Dani moans softly and shudders, feeling something stir inside her.

Angela takes her time, exploring every inch of her bound partners body, always returning to her breasts after each new part of her body is conquered.

After her feet have been thoroughly oiled and her body is drained of tension, both women know only one part of Dani’s body has not had any attention.

Dani closes her eyes and lays her head back on the pillow, waiting. Not wanting to speak, for fear of breaking the spell.

“Well you are covered in oil and still stuck, maybe the answers does lie inside you after all.” Angela finds no resistance, slipping two fingers into Dani’s shaven haven, drawing a soft gasp from the white haired beauty.

Angela leans in and gently caresses her breasts, while her fingers explore the warrior’s deepest secrets.

Even without the cuffs on her wrists and ankles, Dani would still be helpless, from the stream of pleasure that is filling her body and mind, slowly building inside her.

Angela gently takes Dani’s chin and leans in tenderly kissing her. At first their kisses are soft and gentle, until, both of them feel something primal and their lips locks with the hunger of the starved.

Angela pulls back for a moment, catching her breath. Dani writhes on the bed, thrusting her hips to draw her lovers fingers deeper. Angela looks into Dani’s eyes, “Do you want this?”

Dani looks up at Angela, seeing the Atlantean woman’s golden hair spilling down to her perfect breasts and eyes that only see her, “In this moment, all I want is this.”

Angela smiles and kisses Dani again, before shifting off of the bed. Dani looks on rapt, as Angela climbs back onto the bed, placing a knee either side of her head.

Dani stares up at Angela’s womanhood, and gasps thinking to herself, “I have never really looked at another woman’s pussy up close before, it is a beautiful thing.”

Angela leans forward, balancing herself over Dani’s silken purse, with the promise of all the treasures it holds. At the same time, she lowers her own womanhood to the lips of the woman bound beneath her.

Dani tries to lift her head closer to the other woman, inhaling her intoxicating scent, turning the feelings inside her in to a raging beast, tearing through her core.

Angela’s eyes go wide as tendrils, wrap her wrists and ankles and her limbs are pulled taut, she lands on top of Dani with a grunt finding her lips tantalisingly close to Dani and feeling Dani’s lips, gently caressing her labia.

Both women squirm and writhe against there bonds, making their bodies rub sensually against each other. Dani lifts her head slightly and her hot tongue brushes Angela’s labia, drawing a gasp fro the woman on top of her.

Where Dani proceeds with caution, Angela shows no such restraint, her tongue plunges through Dani’s defences, striking directly at her clitoris. Angela pulls against the bonds that hold her and revels in being a prisoner of lust, redoubling her efforts.

Dani feels the frenzied passion between her legs and adjusts Angela’s bonds, pulling her body slightly up the bed, forcing her labia onto her mouth, then takes her time. First writing her name with her tongue and then writing the litany of her pain with the tip of her tongue on Angela’s clit.

Angela gasps, feeling the power of the beast growing inside her, “This is amazing.” She manages to whisper, despite her exertions.

Dani moans softly, her cries stifled by the womanly flesh pressed to her lips. She savours the taste of the woman on top of her, each taste leaving her craving more. Her heart is pounding in her chest, carrying euphoria to every inch of her body.

Angela feels a hunger rise in her, driven by the beautiful woman to whom she is bound. She pulls at her bonds, straining her muscles, as if trying to pull herself deeper into the moment.

Dani exists in a world of sensation, the cuffs on her wrists, the sheet at her back, the silky smoothness of Angela’s womanhood pressing into her mouth, the pressure on her breasts from the woman atop her, the scent of passion. Everything becomes a whirlwind, a storm inside, scouring every part of her until all that remains is the primal explosion building within.

Dani presses her face into Angela's sex to stifle the scream, she unleashes. All within her is gone. Replaced with a raging torrent of emotions and sensations. “Oh fuck, is this what it is really like? I had no idea.” She thinks, briefly, before all thought is washed away.

Angela throws her head back in a silent scream, as Dani pushes her over the edge, headfirst into an ocean of exquisite sensation.



Both women lay panting in the aftermath, neither able to speak or move. Dani releases the cuffs and lays her head back on the pillow spent. Eventually, Angela musters the strength to roll off of Dani and lay facing her.

Dani rolls on to her side, to find herself almost nose to nose with her lover. She opens her mouth to speak, only for Angela to silence her with a gentle finger pressed to her lips, “Shhh.” He whispers softly, “Enjoy the feeling, words come later.”

As if to underline her point, she reaches between Dani’s legs and gently strokes her clit. Dani shudders and closes her eyes leaning into the moment, when their soft lips meet in tender union. In her mind, all that exists is this moment and the remnants of the storm, Angela unleashed within her.

For a moment, she feels free of the weight of her past lifted and her soul freed. This moment is enough, to give her a time of peace, before she falls asleep.

[Caesar73]

An incredibly soft and tender Chapter. Angela helping Dani to find release in more than one way.

[GreyLord]

An incredibly soft and tender Chapter. Angela helping Dani to find release in more than one way.

Well said, @Caesar73. I agree.

Grand Master @wolfman, this was exquisitely erotic writing. Never have I ever found any interest reading about a 69. You have rocked my boat.