25 – Price to pay

Ishrin’s eyes, if he still had any, would have widened until they threatened to burst out of his skull. He was only living as a form of pure energy, hurled through the gaps between worlds by his own ritual and a couple of jury-rigged monster cores, but the instinct to widen his eyes was there. As was the idea of speaking out, unable to contain his surprise. Beside him, intangible but there, Lisette had done the unexpected.

“She figured it out.” He wanted to say. “She knows it’s damaged!” he wanted to laugh hysterically. “We can survive this, after all!”

Together, without knowing what the other was doing, Ishrin and Lisette both engaged protocols 13 and Tetra-4. A bubble of protective energy burst into existence around them, stabilizing their forms and momentarily giving them real bodies again.

They wasted no time.

“What modules are we missing from the ritual circle?” Lisette asked, no emotion in her voice.

“133 to 183.” Ishrin said.

“That is all of our shielding.” She said.

“Not all. There was always supposed to be more. Here, grab the stick with both hands.”

She watched him release his hold from the steering wheel and walk to the edge of the strange, bounded space they were in.

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

“Save all of us, hopefully.”

***