"What's the plan of attack here, Sergeant McGrath?"
"They have to be separated. Each room is made with Oraclinium, their powers will be completely useless there. Then we just interrogate until they crack."
"What exactly are we looking for? What's worth the risk of claiming 4 members of the most powerful species in the entire universe?"
"Throughout our history and the history of countless other planets galaxy-wide, two girls have been reported as being moved by some form of unknown creatures. We did our research and we believe the girls to be Lilly and Ashley, friends of The Oracli." Sergeant Mcgrath said with a certain fierceness.
"So what, we're trying to get them to explain themselves? You know if this blows up in our faces, our faces might literally blow up, right?"
"Know your place Predator. I'm your superior officer, remember that."
Z, X, N, and A were all separated after they arrived in the basement. They were all escorted into separate rooms. As soon as they stepped through the doors of each room, their powers seemed to vanish.
"Wait a second. I know you, don't I..." Z asked incredulously, staring at Predator, as he walked into the interrogation room, and sat down across from him.
"My name is Predator, and you've got some explaining to do, Z," Predator announced as he attached handcuffs to Z's hands, swiftly attaching him to the table.
Z yanked at the chains, trying to struggle his way to freedom, but to no avail.
"Let me go, what the hell are you doing here, I watched you die!" Z growled as he pulled harder and harder, pulling against the chains with all his might.
"I'm not done with you just yet, Spaceman. My death was greatly exaggerated." Predator droned as he pulled files and notes from his briefcase and spread them across the table in front of Z.
Z's mind leapt back to something he hadn't remembered for years.
Don't think you're escaping me that easy spaceman!
He could hear Sarah's voice in his mind.
Are you asking me on a date spaceman...?
Then Lilly's.
"What did you just call me?"
"I'm from your future Z, a dark, dark future. I've been sent back with a warning."
"Stop delaying, Predator. Just tell me. None of that riddle bullshit either, it's been a rough couple of centuries."
"When The Butterfly told you that the universe is about to be flipped on its head, he wasn't wrong. Don't trust anyone. Don't underestimate the strength of your enemies. Lastly, remember you've got allies in high places. Some are a lot closer than you think."
"What is any of that meant to mean." Z returned after shooting Predator an inquisitive look.
Predator pointed to the sheets as if to remind Z to take a look.
Z considered them for a moment and hastily grabbed one, reading over the hastily scrawled notes. The date in the top right read July 05, 1269.
The note contained details about a visit to the palace of King Louis IX of France, in which the king was speaking to a girl with "hair green as the emerald, and skin white as the winter snow", and another girl with "hair the colour of oak and eyes the colour of the ocean". Both of which were escorted by "creatures so strange it is unfathomable to be perceived with merely a quill and parchment."
"Lilly and Ashley, they're alive!"
"Very much so. It's your job to find them. It will lead you the way you need to go."
"The way I need to go for what?"
"We both know I can't tell you that. Just keep an eye out for blue. That's the most I can say."
"I don't know how you expect me to know what to do, I'm gonna leave this room with more questions than answers."
"Believe me, Z. I wish I could do more. In my days you've just gotta play your part. No room for slipping information here or there. I've been instructed to deliver these hints to you in the order that you're receiving them in your timestream."
"Would you care to explain that to the readers back home?"
Predator sighs.
"Time isn't a strict progression from one event to another. Time moves in mysterious ways. Your timeline moves in one progression, that's the life you're living. One event after the other. But others have their own INDIVIDUAL timelines. Sometimes, those timelines can cross over eachother, which is why people like Sarah, The Butterfly, and myself meet you later than you meet them." Predator rambled.
"So basically, you know everything that's gonna happen? Why can't you just tell me and save me the goddamn trouble!" Z responded, struggling to comprehend.
"Language, Z. I understand your frustration but there's nothing to be upset about. All will work out if you trust yourself."
"Answer my question and let me go. They won't find themselves."
"I can't tell you what's going to happen because then it won't happen. Once you know what's going to happen, time has a way of changing things to make sure that it doesn't happen."
"Then can't you tell me the opposite of what's going to happen, so that what we WANT to happen, happens?"
"..." Predator was dumbfounded. "I don't know how to reply to that, but that's just not how it works."
Z sighed.
"Now that that's over with. Time for me to make my brilliant escape and continue the search."
"How do you suppose you're going to do that then, hm?" Predator asked incredulously.
Z raised his hands, to show them handcuffless and glowing a deep purple. "Like this."
Predator had barely any time to show a hint of surprise before Z had kicked the table onto its side and used it to pin him to the wall.
"This room is Oracli proof? How the hell did you do that!"
"You clearly didn't do your research, Pred. Oraclinium doesn't disable us. It weakens us."
"Then why'd you just sit there and pretend to be helpless?" Predator grunted, using all his might to pry the table from him but it still pinned him against the wall.
"You brought us in here to question us. We needed more answers. We knew you were here, we knew you'd give us some form of answers. It wasn't exactly a challenge." Z smiled, gesturing out the window, where X, N, and A stood waving back, their weapons drawn, smeared in blood.
"Damnit Z, let me go. You've won, you're the tough one."
The table began to push further into the wall, crushing Predator's ribs slowly. The table stopped as Predator yelled in pain.
"Where next," Z growled, as his hand slowly curled into a fist.
"New York. December 14th. 1999." Predator heaved, as the table restricted his airflow.
They were gone within seconds. The table fell to the ground. Predator sighed in relief.
As the landscape of a bustling New York street puckered into view, Z, X, N, and A transformed their heads back into the disguises.
They looked at eachother and smirked.
"Keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, we have to work out what this time and this place has to do with Lilly and Ashley."
As Z spoke, a bus sped around the corner they were on, knocking them each to the floor.
"Goddamnit!"
The driver of the bus slammed on the breaks, quickly running outside to see if they were okay, followed by a crowd of passengers.
One by one he checked their pulses.
"Nothing..."
YOU ARE READING
Tales of the Oracli - (almost) COMPLETE EDITION
Science FictionI was writing this book for many years and have since decided to turn the series and all my plans for it into a comic series. As such, I have decided to publish all the work I had done on this story for the world to see. I hope everyone enjoys!
