Previously: “Kirkham was dead, the walls of Fortress City breached. Now Una, Sigrid and I faced the alien wrath of Prometheus.”
Part 47: Prometheus No More
As the house rained down around us, Una pushed me beneath herself. A brick bounced off her back with a metallic clang. I stumbled over shattering masonry, pulling Una along behind me. And we were outside, and safe.
Or not. Looking up, we saw Prometheus closer than ever - towering over us, its long, jointed legs splayed around the house like a spider over its prey. Una glided up beside me, rubbing her back with one hand.
Prometheus lowered its great, expressionless, human face, mouth open. I could feel my hair starting to bristle. I took Una's hand in mine.
Blue electricity began to crackle around us. Una squeezed my hand. “Well,” she said, “I suppose this is it.”
I pulled her closer and kissed her temple. The most peculiar sensation began to build in the pit of my stomach. If you've never almost been imploded by a Sky Spider machine, I can't really describe what it felt like.
But I noticed immediately when it began to fade away. The arcs of ethereal lightning stopped with a sudden pop. And the slick black skin of Prometheus began slowly to brighten and turn grey.
“Because we killed Kirkham?” Una mused.
I pointed to the almost imperceptible figure riding on the back of Prometheus. “Or because we had a little help from a see-through friend of ours.”
Like sunlight piercing the clouds, Prometheus began to glow with internal light, its replica of Kirkham's face warping into something stranger, and more reassuringly Sky Spider in nature. Before it had become almost completely white, Prometheus had turned and begun walking away, stepping harmlessly through townhouses like it wasn't really there.
Sigrid stepped out of the rubble of the old cottage, brushing debris from her shoulders. “What happened?”
“Kirkham lost Prometheus,” I said.
Sigrid nodded. “Well, he's got no need for it where he is.”
Una stepped away from me, looking out over the ruins of Fortress City, dust and smoke still rising from it. “What a waste. Yet more people without homes and food and who knows what else.”
“They're free, at least,” I said. “Which is what you wanted.”
“Let's hope they're not too proud to turn down help from Remus and Unity City.”
“I didn't think you...”
She shrugged. “How else can they survive now?”
Sigrid was looking around with wide eyes. “Wait, back up a minute. What have you two been doing here?”
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next week: Check back in a week's time for the next instalment of Into the Mind of the Sky Spiders!
1 comment:
Once upon a time, my elder daughter had a cat named Remus (really!). I hope the fictional one is more of a help -- the other Remus was more likely to create chaos rather than clean it up...
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