~ four

(after intermission, in the dark)

Selene - Voiced in dark, "Wake up."  The sound of thumps on the chest.  Lightning sparks light the screen, then dark.  More thumping ... "No ... I just found you ..."

('Purple' by Skin)

The screen lights with her pulling a deep purple light from her heart painfully, breathing hard, kneeling over the lifeless Orestes.

The view goes wide and across with a gust of wind, over the woods, the babbling birds settling, the greaters lowering their heads back to the treetops.  Among the Arsinoe watches, lowering her head in the treetop to tool her rifle.

Past the woods along a fleeing flock from a twisting young Phoenix, snapping it's beak through like a shark passing a school of fish parallel to a caravan walking, mixed with herd.

~ Strophius drops his pen grabbing his chest.

Selene thrusts the light hard into the Orestes' chest, he inhales with wide eyes.

~ Lightning strikes near the war camp, a Thunderbird flies over with a roar, Charon and Styx look to each other.  She nods and rises.

They hold tight for life into a kiss, the glow between them.

~ Lady Styx exits the wood with the Hecate.

('Bolero' (again) by Maurice Ravel)

Song again, while Selene walks eating fruit the opposite way he walked before, while behind her bot drags Orestes passed out on a cot.  An occasional stumble as she walks.  She looks at the fruit in her hand as though remembering it and takes a bite.

________

Inside the Decibel, a loud thump echoes three times.  Strophius sits with the ledger before the holo-mapper, giving the auto-pilot a look for threatening him with an over-sized syringe.  He looks to the door.

Strophius - Annoyed, he turns off the map.  "Auto-pilot, see who it is."

...

Auto - "I hate you."

____

The entry plank drops, the Hecate wait with Styx.

Styx - "Oh hello !  The 'war hero' ... new arm there I see.  And a new head."

Auto - "A full new plate, in fact.  Forged from the hull of your own queen's flagship as a trophy.  I learned how.  I'm like you now."

He makes a whistle sound, gesturing the ship crashing.  Arms wide with explosion sounds along the way (sounds badly recorded from the actual event) ... watching the imagines scene like a television.  Final boom, his entire upper body flailing.

Auto - Looks at her pausing the show, "This is the part when we flew away."  Hand flying away, watching, with rocket sounds.  "Woo-hoo !"... he back looks at her.  "We flew through the fireball.  It was triumphant.  Do you sell encyclopedias now ?  I require them."

...

Styx - "So hard to kill and yet so hard not to.  No.  My daughter.  Have you seen her ?"

Auto - "Who ?"  He squirts the syringe.

Strophius - Stepping in, "Ah.  Lady Styx."  Auto flies into a closet door slamming, crimping around the wires.  "On my own honor, we have not seen her ... but I believe we have exactly the same concern as you and Lord Charon."

Styx - "Do you."  She looks around entering, Hecate guarding outside, strangely still.  She looks more for detail, already aware Selene isn't there, noting the ledger.

Strophius - "Yes.  In fact.  And we both know how volatile the situation can be."

Styx - A laugh dragging a finger over the holo controls lazily.  "We like volatile.  You fear it.  That's the concern, edifice."

Auto - From the closet, "Ha !  She called you an edifice.  That means you're an old ..."

Strophius - Spins the gunblade from his shoulder and stabs though the closet door.  Spark sounds as the weapon spins back.  "Indeed a traditionalist.  But I do respect treaty, so long as it can last."

Styx - "And we both know they'll care nothing for it."

Strophius - "Do you ?"

She smiles as they look to the static sounds of protest and sparks from the closet.

Styx - Smile carried back to, "Not a bit."  She turns down the ramp, looking around at the surroundings in honest appreciation. "But I do like this planet."  She looks back over her shoulder, "As it is."

The ramp's hydraulics freeze over in her wake.  The Hecate hiss as the ramp slams shut behind her, shattering the hydraulics.

...

Strophius - "Auto-pilot.  Do you have their location ?"

Auto - From the closet, "I don't know."

Strophius - "But he can make comm still, yes ?"

Auto - "It's likely."

...

Strophius - "I'm taking my ship back to Nibiru, to present this new evidence to the court.  Meantime ... up to orbit with you, to keep an eye."

Auto - "No thank you."

...

Strophius - "Over-ride code 'Templeton Strope.  Oh one, oh oh, oh ... X'."

Auto - "That code's been overwritten.  The new code is ... 'please'."

...

Strophius - "Oh ... please."
__

The two ships lift off from the market landing in the rising sun.

Auto - Voiced over the launch, "Oh Kay !"

~ The caravan in waking, a flock of birds flutter away as the long necks announce the sun to the skies, the ship departing parting.  They move to slow action, continuing the path, walker panels opening here and there, morning smoke fresh from the pipework flues.

________

Strophius emerges from from the landing smoke on Nibiru, enters the main structure.  Guards stand aside recognizing as he walks directly, until he kneels before the throne.

Strophius - "Lord Kronu."

...

Kronus - Smiles, "Strope ... " A moment to recall ... "Temple teacher.  War tactics and the gunblade ... very wise, it is known.  Speak, of course."

Strophius - "The brotherhood on Gaea.  They gather arms.  And they as well hire mercenaries from the regions surrounding our home planet, but none from it.  Conspicuously."  He moves to hand the ledger over and sees it ignored.

Kronus - "Strope.  Matters why ?  They eat."

A child lord circles.

Strophius - Bows briefly, "Lord Zeu."

Kronus - "He studies soon under you I think, yes ?", he turns to him.

Zeus - "Yes it's true.  In the next greater season."

Kronus - To Strophius, "They say you teach more wisdom than cut, but that those cuts run deeper, when the students learn from you.  A fine mastery."

Strophius - Distracted by a shifting shadow.  "... If I may ask my lord, what is the official stance on ghosts ?"

...

Kronus - "Ghosts ?  ...  You mean as ritual to appease ?  Or do you mean as a new tale to frighten my Zeu to bed.  But if you could possibly mean the law ..."

Strophius - Looks to Zeus, eyes caught, then back, watching behind the throne.  "No my lord.  I refer to shadows behind thrones."  Turns away, Kronus leans back as shadows wisp away.

The motion caught by Zeus, he turns to watch Strophius leave.

The view turns to black mist, the Hecate standing behind the throne whispering to thinking Kronus.  As they turn, the room dissipates to the woods near Charon's chair.  The lead leans in to whisper, he leans in to hear, then smiles.