the blueshifters, parts 1 + 2 (Complete!)

The Trans-Resurrection Machine, Part 2 (episode 13)

(episode 3 of series 2)

The last explosion was terrible. Clouds of thick, burning smoke started to fill the room and large fireball flames began to engulf the place.

"What has happened!" screeched one of the red-shifters. "Fire! Fire! Save the machine! SAVE THE MACHINE!!" he screamed.

"I'll call the others! we can't save the machine by ourselves!" The taller one ran from the room.

"COWARD!!" Cried the other in a rage. Mary could hear all of this behind her behind the door of the device. it woke her from the near hypnotic state she felt the machine was pulling her into, and away from the strange visions, or were they shapes she saw in the fluid.

Shots were fired and then someone opened the device door.

"Mary!" it was Dan.

"Dan! Untie me!" he took put a blade and began cutting the straps.

"Hurry!" Shouted someone. It was Jack.

"You don't know how glad I am to see you guys!" She said. The bonds were difficult to cut through and Dan began unraveling them by hand. when he was done she managed to force her legs out of the straps holding them down and rolled off the door.

"What is that thing?" He asked,

"No time. I'll tell you later!" She said.

"They're coming! More of them. They called for reinforcements. I think I hear sirens too," said Jack. fire was running up the ceiling like wild fire. The way was blocked. he covered Mary with a long silver cape. He was breathing hard.

"We make a run through the doorway. As you get towards the entrance, leave the cloak behind. hopefully we'll get out without severe burns. Come on!"

They followed him out. Mary could feel the fire hot against her burning. It was so hot she thought she'd combust into millions of tiny particulars. She felt her hair singing and she brushed it frantically as Jack herded them into an old car. The building was burning, like a raging beacon tearing into the night. Jack jumped into the driver's seat and sped off, burning rubber.

"We were lucky. this was a small cell. We caught them off guard!" Said Dan.

'"How on earth did you guys find me?" She asked, wiping sweat from her face.

"The red trail was strong nearly all the way to this neighborhood. I sensed you as they were driving away. I called Jack and he brought the car and we tracked your essence until it dropped off sharply about five blocks south of here. At that point, we investigated the buildings and by happenstance we found this old abandoned one. The redshifters seem to like old abandoned buildings for certain reasons. Old buildings have old essence and memory that they thrive and work from to build their wormholes. People don't seem to pay much attention to them either." Mary turned to look out the rear window. In the distance a flurry of swirling sirens lights was gathering at the burning building as they sped away into the night.

. . .

In the tiny, dusty bookshop that was now their headquarters, they sat around a small stool. Mary was frazzled but wiser and more courageous than she'd ever felt. Everyone was gathered around her, Trillion draped a warm sweater around her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry I got you into this." said Dan. "maybe we moved too soon-" she frowned and then smiled.

"Got me into what? I'm in this along with all of you. We either face them now or they'll face us down later. We have to defeat the enemy. to do that, we have to find them. I'm, glad it happened."