Around The Clock

CHAPTER 6

"The signal's been sent out, but it hasn't reached her yet," Veronica said as soon as she walked through the door that Ryder opened for her.

Una was at her desk, skimming over a few scrolls at a time.

"We just got one of her helmets too," Sam said, handing the spiked black helmet to his leader. She took it with a nod of thanks.

She flicked up the visor which unlocked something else with a click, then she tugged on the part near the chin, which slid up completely, showing an open, padded space that would usually go around the back of Loch Ness's head.

It had a round space near the top around the size of Ryder's fist, so he guessed Loch Ness had her hair in a bun when she wore it.

Una slid the helmet on and clicked the top piece into place so they could only see her ice blue eyes, then she flicked down the visor.

She didn't move at all for a few seconds and Ryder opened his mouth to ask what she was doing, but Veronica slapped a hand over his mouth.

After a few more tense seconds of silence, she unlocked the helmet and slid it back off again with a smile.

"I don't know how, but she already knew that we needed her here. She's already on her way back."

"But the signal hasn't reached her yet, I checked," Marina said in confusion, showing Una the glass panel she held in her hands.

The queen grinned predatorily.

It seemed to be the only way that she could smile.

"I think I know how."

"How!?" Sam burst, throwing his hands up.

"I'll be back – I need her key." Sam threw it to her and she caught it with a swipe of her palm so quickly Ryder thought she'd just slapped it halfway across the room.

Then she left.

She came back a moment later with a massive jar that Ryder definitely found familiar. "Wha!?" he managed to force out, but Una placed the jar on the desk and unscrewed the top.

Ryder soon realised that the liquid couldn't just move – but it was sentient.

Unlike a normal liquid, this one was thicker, more like slime than anything else.

It slid out and sat on her paper without damaging them at all, blowing bubbles at her and making its surface ripple.

"Can you contact Loch Ness for me?" Una asked politely. It leaned away from her and slithered off her table, landing on the floor with a splat, before slowly crawling around the room, circling each and every person – assessing them.

Then it began climbing up the wall.

Once it got to around eye level, it stretched itself out into a circle that covered most of the shelves.

Its body then began changing colours until a picture formed in hues of red.

"Loch Ness?" Una called out, leaning closer.

The figure being showed was completely red except for their helmet which was the darkest hue of burgundy the slime could manage.

The figure waved at everyone and Ryder stared with wide eyes.

"How is that even possible!?"

"Loch Ness, can you hear me?" The figure tapped the side of their helmet, then pointed to Una and shook her head. "She can't hear any of us and we can't hear her. I'm guessing this creature only has the ability to share live footage and not sound," Una said with a smile. She turned back to the weird circle of red slime and showed it her watch, then tapped it while looking at the figure.