Subterra Heart

Chapter 31: Tess Ritty

After some time, it was decided that Marina would return to Flores Greens and send out the alert for bloodrot through the usual channels. This would only trigger a lockdown for the Greens, but it would also signal other sub-cities to be on guard. Tess's plan was too much of a shot in the dark. Matteo Rocha's notes had disappeared years ago. Even if they did somehow find those notes, what then? There was no telling how long it would hypothetically take to manufacture Matteo Rocha's cure, and the clock was ticking. The Dwellers would come to Heart, and if the city was unprepared, it would not last.

Neither Connor nor Marina brought up what Tess had said about having memories that once belonged to someone else. They had seemed to be making a point of not mentioning it.

Bastet, of course, would have to stay in the tunnels. Even though her skin was still fully intact and there were no gaping wounds for dusty Dweller spores to pour out of, they couldn't run the risk of her infecting anyone. Tess would also need to stay behind. Her eyes were a dead giveaway that she had been exposed to bloodrot – even if it was no longer an active infection. This was a point of contention, with Marina insisting that her sister must be seen by a doctor. Connor, however, argued that Tess would only cause a panic, and too many questions would be asked. He'd balked at sharing their story around more than necessary. He wasn't interested in outing himself and Tess as the reasons for why Heart was no longer protected against the Dwellers, and the city had a dark history of how it dealt with people infected with or exposed to bloodrot. Marina finally relented when Connor told her he'd stay in the tunnels and tend to Tess – so long as Marina could bring back plenty of supplies before sending out the alert. Shortly after, Marina had left to do just that.

Throughout the entire conversation between Connor and Marina, Tess hadn't said a word. Even after Marina had left, Tess refused to move or speak. She was irritated with the plan. It wasn't enough. Connor tried to strike up a conversation with her multiple times, but she would not answer him. It wouldn't have mattered if she tried – her voice was too hoarse. Eventually, Connor gave up, rolled over, and dozed off.

In her mind, Tess counted the seconds as they passed. Counting helped her think. She'd just reached the count of 4,800 – eighty minutes. And yet, Marina still hadn't returned. That was odd, out of character. Tess's memories were fractured. Scattered. Still, she knew that Marina had a history of being irritatingly punctual. Her older sister had been anxious to retrieve more supplies for Tess's burns, which still stung, even with the healthy slathering of burn cream that Marina had applied. Or perhaps that had been someone else's sister who was always on time. There were countless lifetimes worth of memories that Fenrir had let loose upon Tess when he and Rourke died, and the pieces were ricocheting around her skull faster than she could make sense of them. Either way, Tess was still in pain, and she was becoming impatient.

A light pressure against her knee broke Tess out of her thoughts.

"How long do you plan to rrremain here?" asked Bastet in a low purr.

Tess did not answer. At her side, Connor's light snores filled the silence. She would not speak to a Dweller – not even one that inhabited Marina's cat. On second thought – especially one that inhabited Marina's cat. However, Bastet did not seem too concerned about Tess's lack of enthusiasm to converse, because she carried on.

"Do you trrrruly intend to rrrrremain? Burrrned? Useless? Allowing one who is unskilled in human medicine to tend to you?"

Connor's light snore turned into a loud snuffle, and he rolled over again, this time facing Tess and Bastet. Bastet waited for a moment before lowering her voice further.

"You will not trrrrry to fight for yourrr home?"

No. That was incorrect. Tess would travel to Heart Central. She would find Matteo Rocha's notebooks. If the memories she had were correct, then his assistant, Nelda Crane, had hidden it deep within the University Library. But to do that, she must move, and to move, she must not be in pain, and to not be in pain, she would need Connor's help to heal. But...that would take too long, and as Bastet had already stated, Connor was not skilled in human medicine.

Tess closed her eyes in defeat. For a long time, the silence between her and Bastet was maintained. It was beyond irritating that the Dweller hadn't up and left yet. She struggled to understand it. From what Tess understood, Bastet's only motivations were boredom, self-preservation, and a twisted sense of Bug's fondness for Conner. Didn't Bastet have a city to infect, just like the rest of her kind?

After some time had passed, Tess cracked open her eyes. Bastet hadn't moved. She still sat before Tess, innocently grooming her paw – the one that looked as if it had been dipped in white paint. For a moment, Tess could almost believe that this was just Bug again with no Dweller. At least, she could believe that until they locked eyes once more. There was a certain intensity to Bastet's inky stare that Tess had not seen until now.

"Human-named-Tess, you claim to have memorrrrries that arrrrre not yourrrs," said the cat. "Perrrrrrhaps they include generrrrrations of humans beforrre you. Orrrr perrrrhaps they include Fenrir himself." Bastet paused, waiting for Tess to react. But Tess didn't move. Her gut twisted uncomfortably. Bastet was right – Fenrir's memories had been shoved into Tess's brain, along with those from every living creature he had ever infected. Fenrir's however, were slimy, greasy, nasty memories, and Tess had been trying to avoid them...but she was barely even able to pull her own thoughts together. Bastet flicked her tail and continued. "You arrrrre aware that, once in a host, my kin can only be destrrrroyed by firrrre. Tell me, human, did my kind not put in place safeguarrrrrrds to addrrrrress your current cirrrcumstance?"

At Bastet's words, a new memory did, in fact, swim to the surface of Tess's mind. It shimmered with the strange waters of murky violet waves: a medicinal bath for severe burns that the Dwellers had devised as the Anai fell and attempted to drag the Dwellers into extinction. The place had a name, but not one that Tess could speak with a human tongue. The Well of Strange Waters, she decided to call it. It had been commissioned by Bastet and her previous host, but Fenrir had exerted control over it for the past three millennia. Now, it would be left unguarded for Tess to make use of.

She began to stand, slowly grasping at the stone wall behind her and unfurling her legs. Bastet grinned, and her teeth flashed white in the dim light.

"If you wish to heal quickly, I suggest you move fasterrr than that," said Bastet. Tess glared at her, half tempted to say something rude – or at least stick out her tongue. She was starting to feel more like herself now. But the Dweller was right. Any other Dwellers not immediately focused on Heart would go straight to the Well of Strange Waters to make a claim. And if she dawdled, she'd be out of luck. Perhaps that was Bastet's goal too – or perhaps not. The cat certainly didn't need Tess to go find the healing bath.

With a new sense of urgency, Tess straightened up and hobbled after Bastet, needles of pain coursing through her feet. As the pair disappeared into the darkness, Tess couldn't stop thinking, why are you helping me?