Jak Koke - Clockwork asylum

Just like old times, thought Burnout.

Since the start of the ceremony, Lethe had said nothing, though Burnout could almost sense the spirit communing outside his perception. The longer they stayed together, the more attuned he and the Lethe seemed to be.

Burnout watched the approaching storm, and a feeling of apprehension grew in him. It felt like… like…

Mercury comes.

Burnout looked down at his ravaged body, the skin of his hands flayed to the chrome, the dermal sheathing poking through a ragged hole in his coveralls. The telescoping fingers that had served him so well were mangled and twisted, severed in places and unable to effectively retract.

Burnout knew he was the most efficient killing machine tech and magic could produce. Both times he'd gone up against Ryan, the simple human-with no chrome Burnout could discern-had proven tougher than anything Burnout could have imagined. Each time, the man had scarred Burnout and come through alive.

Questions plagued Burnout with their unanswerable intensity. Why had this man been chosen by Dunkelzahn? What lay hidden beneath Mercury's human exterior that made him a match for the best that science and the dark arts could produce?

In his peripheral vision, he saw that the Kodiak had stopped swaying and had opened his eyes. The Heart had darkened, and it lay quiet. The Kodiak heaved a heavy sigh and sat upright on the bearskin. Exhaustion lined his face as he spoke. "I have talked with Bear, my son. He has shown me the truth of things, both seen and unseen."

Burnout leaned forward hungrily. "Yes, what did Bear tell you about the Heart?"

The Kodiak's narrow eyes looked sad. "Of the artifact you call the Heart, Bear said simply that it follows its own destiny. It isn't for you or any man to possess and control. It has a place in the sacred dance, and though it might be useful to you for now, it will fulfill its destiny."

Burnout sat back, unsure of how to take what the old man had said. "Does that mean I can tap into it? That I can-"

The old man waved him off. "Your relationship to the… Heart is nebulous at best. You can do with it what you can. It cannot give you back the gift you have thrown away."

Burnout nodded. He had longed to feel the power of the magic arts he had once wielded with pleasure. Now that yearning faded with a grim sigh.

"As the Heart makes its moves according to the sacred dance, you might be able to connect with it. That's all I can tell you."

Burnout knew it was all he could have hoped for and more than he deserved. He was about to stand, when the Kodiak spoke again. "The Bear has spoken to me of the spirit that travels with you."

Once again, Burnout found himself leaning forward.

"The one you call Lethe is directly tied to the Heart and its sacred dance. Though now, through methods unspeakable, it is also tied to you. Bear does not think the two of you can be separated at this time. And even if it were possible, it would most likely kill one, if not both, of you."

Burnout wondered how Lethe felt about being a prisoner inside him.

The Kodiak chuckled. "So I suggest you get used to him, son. It looks as if this Lethe is going to be with you for some time."

Burnout nodded. "I don't want to get rid of Lethe, Kodiak. He's proven himself, and I trust him."

The old man closed his eyes and gave a tired smile. "That's good, my son, because the spirit's presence is the only thing that makes you human. The abomination you've become is tempered by the proximity of Lethe. With him near, you become more than the sum of your parts. Without him, any chance you might have of contacting the essence of the Heart will disappear."

Again Burnout nodded, though this time more to himself. It was just as he'd thought. Lethe was the one responsible for his heightened awareness, his increased memory retention.

The old man's face became grave. "Bear also told me of another who is tied to you and the Heart."

"Another?"

"One who tracks you."

Ryan. So my gut hunch was right.

Burnout stood, suddenly anxious. "Yes, the one called Ryan Mercury."

"Bear told me that the one you call Mercury is even now in pursuit of the Heart that you carry."

So Mercury is coming, for sure. Burnout felt the familiar anticipation roll through him. I will be ready for you, Mercury. You may be the best I've met, but I will destroy you like I have the others.

"This one stalking you, this Mercury, you are aware how powerful he is?"

Burnout nodded. "He is the most formidable opponent I have ever faced, and each time we meet he gets better. He learns more and more of my capabilities, but always seems to be able to surprise me."

The old man stroked his thick beard. "Bear has told me that he is even more powerful than you can imagine."

Burnout gave him a hard look. "In what way?"

The Kodiak frowned. "Bear did not reveal specifics, saying only that the being named Mercury is powerful enough that you, even as… altered as you've become, are no match for him. There is one thing that can be used to your advantage, however."

Burnout looked down at the rain of his body. "Give it to me. I can use all the help I can get."

"Mercury has no idea just how powerful he is."

Burnout looked up sharply. "What?"

"Mercury has come nowhere close to realizing his full potential."

Burnout grinned. "He can't use what he doesn't know about. He is only as strong as he thinks he is."

"He will be here soon," the Kodiak said. "And he comes ready for battle."

Burnout stood. "Then I better prepare. I think Mercury is in for a few surprises when he arrives."

The old man rose as well. "My son, he comes in force. No matter how well prepared you are, there is no way you will stand against his onslaught alone."

Burnout shrugged. "Thanks for the advice, Kodiak. But I'm tired of running, and I don't have anywhere to go even if I had the stomach for it."

The old man's voice grew compassionate. "I said you could not stand up to him alone. But this is my mountain, my home. No matter what dark paths you have chosen to follow, you were once my student, and that makes you as much of a son to me as any blood tie. No one harms my children in my home. I am not as young as I once was, but my powers have not waned. I am far more powerful today than when you came to me all those years ago. You will not stand alone when Mercury arrives."

Burnout looked at the old man. "Thank you," he said. "For everything;"

Into Burnout's mind came Lethe's voice filled with fierce determination. "No. You will not stand alone. The Kodiak and I will be here with you. Ryan has already tried once to take the Heart for his own. He abandoned his devotion to his ancient master, and it was only by your intervention that the Dragon Heart was torn from his selfish hands. He must never be allowed to take it back."

Ryan sat in the Phoenix II's cabin, cruising above Old Route 83, listening to the roar of the engines. Outside, the winds of the approaching thunderstorm howled like a banshee. The hole in his gut grew hollow as he listened to Miranda.

"It's like Burnout is possessed, but not quite. His aura looks nothing like what I've seen in other cyberzombies. It's as though there's another spirit hovering in and around him, and one big fragger too. Never seen a presence like that."

Axler turned to Ryan. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"

Ryan nodded. "Lethe."

Axler's fine eyebrows drew tight. "Never did trust that astral piece of drek."

Ryan sighed. "That also explains why Burnout's aura is masked and his trail is hard to follow. Where are they?"

"He's on a mountain top, not far from here."

Ryan stood and looked down at Miranda. "You said there was a shaman with him?"

"I think so. I've gotten good at identifying them. He was certainly a gifted old man, but he could have been a mage."