Scene 26: Departure

AARON:  Why were you trying to kill us?

ERIMENTHA:  Because that's what 

you came here to do to me.

ROSS:  We came to rescue you.

ERIMENTHA:  Impossible.  

I have no friends in Janriel.

AARON:  You do now.

ERIMENTHA:  Why?

ROSS:  We were both 

brought back by your blood.

ERIMENTHA:  My blood 

was taken from me!

AARON:  We didn't know about you when we found it.  

We were paid to steal it.  But things went wrong from there.

ERIMENTHA:  So instead of assassins you're thieves.  

I suppose that's an improvement.

You don't appear to be particularly good

ones.  So my guess is that you haven't

been at this very long.

TULIA:  I want you to bring someone back 

the same way you did them.  

ERIMENTHA:  I can't do that!
(her voice echoes a moment) It wasn't me.

TULIA:  Yes it was.  That's why he's here.

And I don't know the other one anymore.

They're both fanatical about coming here.

But you screwed up our rescue by 

incapacitating half our team.  

ERIMENTHA:  I didn't know who-

TULIA:  Sweets.  You got Sweets killed.

I loved him.  And I want you to bring

him back.  You did it for them.

Why not for me?

ERIMENTHA:  I can't turn back death.

TULIA:  Yes, you can.  We've all seen it.

You just need to give up a little bit more

blood.  You can give it in exchange for

getting you out of here.

ERIMENTHA:  I- I don't understand.

TULIA:  It's very simple.

ERIMENTHA:  Maybe the Masters could do 

such a thing.  But I am only one of the

Chosen.  I have never heard of the power

to turn back death.  I was sent here on

another mission.

TULIA:  I don't need you.  I need your blood.

ERIMENTHA:  The exposure will kill you.

TULIA:  He survived (indicating Aaron).

ERIMENTHA:  You are like the mercenaries.

You cannot see the difference between these walls

and me.  One is synthetic and one is flesh.

Though, I have no notion of how these 

second-rate mercenaries get ahold of it

to be able to entrap me.

ROSS:  Yes, you do.

TULIA:  Ross?

ROSS:  She knows exactly where these

jail cells came from.  She's just not saying.

Erimentha studies Ross' eyes for 

the source of his mind reading.

AARON:  Well?

ERIMENTHA:  How do I know that 

I can trust you?

TULIA:  He's former imperial military.  

But he doesn't like you spreading it

around.  I'm a Noclysis-lover.  And Ross

is anybody's guess.  I picked him up on a

job outside of Janriel and I can't get rid of

him since the blockade.  

ERIMENTHA:  Former military?  

What branch did you serve in?

AARON:  Infantry.

Tulia turns her head.

ERIMENTHA:  So long as it wasn't the Prestmoors.  

Their heavy handedness drove the Empire into the ground.

AARON:  I always thought so.

ROSS:  Funny you should mention that?

ERIMENTHA:  What are you?

ROSS:  Excuse me?

ERIMENTHA:  I don't recognize your species.

ROSS:  We were never subjects of the Empire.  

You'll find a whole new community coming 

out of the woodwork from worlds you were 

allowed to think were abandoned.

ERIMENTHA:  I see.  Well, in that case, 

what is your plan for escape?

TULIA:  Shot to hell upon arrival.  

I thought we went through all of that.

ERIMENTHA:  No backup plan?

TULIA:  So long as you're not trying
to kill us we can afford to wait for
your beloved Prestmoor to blast
down that door.

ERIMENTHA:  You keep company
with a Prestmoor?

AARON:  There was plenty else not
to like about him when we met before
I learned that about him.  But we're
getting by together so far.

ERIMENTHA:  I suggest you re-assess
your friendships before you are betrayed.

TULIA:  Too late for that.

ROSS:  And our friend is
motivated to find you.

ERIMENTHA:  Me?  How did I
acquire his devotion?

AARON:  He's a great admirer.
He referred to you as an angel.

ERIMENTHA:  Ugh, that's grossly flattering.
The heathen wants something.

TULIA:  (accusingly sarcastic)
So you're not an angel?

ERIMENTHA:  I am one of the Chosen.
Gifted with the blood of the Masters.
All so that I may complete my mission.

TULIA:  So you're a mercenary
like everyone else here.

ERIMENTHA:  If you insist upon the
comparison.  Though, I wish you wouldn't.
I have been entrusted with the sacred
duty to rid this galaxy of a great evil.
More precisely, to cleanse Janriel of evil.

AARON:  Well, you've got your work
cut out for you.

ERIMENTHA:  I was very near completion.

TULIA:  Not a mercenary.  An assassin.
You give working stiffs like us
a bad name.

ERIMENTHA:  We do not operate in
the same worlds.  The only reason
we meet now is because of the
misguided direction of one
Prestmoor.

AARON:  Actually, I think it's the fact
that you got caught and were
up for ransom.

ERIMENTHA:  A setback to be sure.

ROSS:  Some chosen one
you turned out to be.

ERIMENTHA:  Your insolence regarding
sacred matters will not resolve our
situation.  I insist you come up
with a plan.

TULIA:  Then why don't you try
tearing down the walls
like my friend did?

ERIMENTHA:  The walls?  They're poison.
Safely contained by a thin membrane, they
frustrate my powers.  But break the surface
and it will prove deadly.  To attempt to
break this cage is to invite death.
Your friend already discovered this.

TULIA:  That's right.  I'm not going
to let you leave without him, either.

ERIMENTHA:  What if it's too late?

TULIA:  Ross was stone dead when
Aaron revived him with your blood.
You can do the same for Sweets.

ERIMENTHA:  I promise to try.

TULIA:  You'll do it.

Erimentha closes her eyes in solemn contemplation
and then steps one foot forward to emerge from the wall.
She approaches the other three and sits cross-legged
before them.  They return the gesture in silence.

ERIMENTHA:  My name is Erimentha Perdeus.  

If we leave together, if I help you, will you help me?

AARON:  What is this great

evil of yours?

ERIMENTHA:  He goes by 

the name Samael.

There is a distant explosion.  They could be forgiven
for missing it initially, but then the walls took on a
gentle ripple.  And the detonations became far more frequent.

ERIMENTHA:  I imagine those explosions are quite loud.

I think this chamber is supposed to be sound proof.

The door thuds.  Aaron rests his hand to feel the wall
and Tulia grabs his wrist, shaking her head with
concern for his safety.  Lifting his hand, the thud is
followed up by a torch.

The flame starts from the top and goes straight down.

The doors part.

DESDINE:  Greetings master.  This is a rescue.

AARON:  How did you-

DESDINE:  You will find all hostile 

personnel deceased.  You're welcome.

Nicodemus puts a barrel to his head.

DESDINE:  Hostility detected.

NICODEMUS:  This thing took a shot at me.

DESDINE:  I relented when I saw 

you engage the other mercenaries.

AARON:  Where did you come from?

Safe rolls up.

DESDINE:  Clever, master.  You caused it so that my 

trajectory might follow you here in case of capture.  

Very unorthodox.  You took a great gamble that your 

maintenance unit could restore me before your captors 

were able to explore the breached section of the station.

Tulia elbows Aaron.

AARON:  Thanks, Safe.

Safe chirps.

DESDINE:  Are you able to travel, master?

AARON:  We still have one 

unfinished business here.

DESDINE:  Of course.  Standing by.

They step out into the hall.

TULIA:  Do you know where Sweets is?

NICODEMUS:  Yeah.  He's right up here.

Nicodemus leads the way and Erimentha follows
without being asked.  They arrive at the darkened
cell and there Sweets remains, untouched.

Erimentha enters into the cell, alone.  Eyes downcast
at the broken body she glances at her audience.
She kneels down next to him.

ERIMENTHA:  Will you please prepare him?

Aaron places a hand on Tulia's shoulder and he
joins Nicodemus (who puts down his gun)
stepping in, placing Sweets flat on his back
and stepping out again.

Erimentha closes her eyes and places her hands to Sweets' chest.  Her hands begin to glow and disappear in the light.  She passes up and down his chest.  She proceeds to massage each leg and each arm.  She then takes one long pass all the way from the toes up to the shoulders and then she begins massaging up the neck.  Soon, Erimentha is massaging up the snout and dimly glowing fluid flows from the mouth.  But the dim glow quickly turns to dead black and the low flow dries up.

The light around her hands stop.

ERIMENTHA:  I'm sorry.  He's not coming back.

I can only feel the poison.  He's not coming back.

Tulia kneels down on Sweets' opposite side.

TULIA:  Give us a moment.

She watches Tulia , who is miles away.
Tulia then looks up to stare off at a wall and
that's when Erimentha gets up to leave.

Then she pauses at the doorway, looking back at Tulia.
Her eyes light with inspiration.  She turns to Desdine.

ERIMENTHA:  Assassin.

DESDINE:  Yes?

ERIMENTHA:  Shhh!

DESDINE:  (quieter) Yes?

ERIMENTHA:  Show me the infirmary.

Obviously, the rest could hear and quickly follow.
They arrive and Erimentha picks her way passed
the blooded lab coats to explore the various drawers.
She withdraws a syringe.

AARON:  Do we get to be in on it?

ERIMENTHA:  I don't want to get her hopes up.

You will have to distract her for when I stick this in.

AARON:  I thought you were reluctant before.

ERIMENTHA:  I still am.

You have to promise me.

AARON:  What?

ERIMENTHA:  You cannot tell the Masters of this, 

should you meet them.  You cannot tell 

them what I am about to do.

ROSS:  We promise.  Don't we?

Everyone nods their agreement.

She sticks the needle in her arm and fills the vial, full.
Safe has already rolled up and extends a wand.
He conceals the glow safely in his chassis.

The crew return once more to the solemn scene.
Tulia turns her head at their approach and rises.

ROSS:  We'll take him from here.

AARON:  Why don't you wait 

for him on the ship?

TULIA:  Thank you.

Ross and Nicodemus guide her back.

Safe rolls up to deliver Erimentha's instrument.
She hesitates a moment longer and then inserts
the syringe.  The skin beneath Sweets' scales
begin to glow with dancing sprites.

He then bleeds a small pool of black sludge
like what had come out of Ross.

ERIMENTHA:  No... the synthetic blood 

killed it.  I did it for nothing.

AARON:  You tried.

ERIMENTHA:  I failed.

Aaron sighs.

AARON:  Desdine, help us carry this man back.

DESDINE:  (cheery) Certainly, master.

Aaron and Erimentha carry Sweets on
one side and Desdine on the other.

They arrive at the Shadow's Heart.
Aaron heads to the cockpit to prepare
for launch and finds the controls ready.

As the craft takes flight Nicodemus appears
at the doorway expecting to have to inform
Aaron of their earlier difficulty.  He leaves
quietly when he sees the Shadow's Heart
already on its way.








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