Chapter Thirty-nine

The Big Pretender

Thursday, March 22. 12:30AM. 125 S.A.

Lemac Lake, Noville. Switzerland

After being in work clothes all day, Mai, Lizbeth and Shin had taken a quick shower together, and changed into more comfortable clothes that they had loaded into their backpacks beforehand. The new task Mai had given them was due in a few hours, but Shin had been reluctant to leave her alone, despite all the security in place. He had finally agreed and, along with Lizbeth, had asked Philip and Zi to make sure she got some rest while they went to the other side of the lake.

Lizbeth's personal vehicle reminded Shin as if someone had put an old-age computer mouse on wheels. It had a dynamic, gently curving design, but from a distance it really had given him the feeling of a mouse. It was black, like other SID vehicles, but the entrance part had nanomaterial doors, which retracted when someone wanted to enter or exit.

Lizbeth always carried a vehicle or two by hand, or rather it was better to say on her back. In the SID tactical turtle backpack. She wasn't too keen on leaving vehicles parked, in case she had an emergency. She had learned from her first missions, more than a century ago, that it was always better to carry mobility close to her, in case she had to flee or go in pursuit.

The compression of vehicles was a technology similar to that used by weapons and other implements that could be carried in tactical backpacks, but it was equipped with alloys of other types of materials, such as origamium and fractium, intitanium that could compress the mass and dimensions of objects much better, making use of extra dimensional spaces, sending that information in a virtual momentary state, until the user decided to decompress that information from the extra dimension of the fractium core. Shin did not yet understand much about the mechanics of those cars but, from what he had seen, the engines were really small compared to those of the 20th century of the Ancient Era.

Lizbeth seemed really happy to drive manually. Even though the route was magnetically supported, no one would say anything if she was driving manually. It had flight functions but, given the situation in the region, those vehicles were not allowed to take flight at that time.

The trip had not taken too long, just a few minutes as Mai had said. They had taken the route along Lake Lemac, passing through Meillerie, Saint Gilgolph and from there entering the Swiss side of the lake, to finally cross a long bridge linking Port Valais with Noville. On the way they had stopped a couple of times, due to the military guard on the road, but, upon presenting their badges, the soldiers had not asked many questions and had continued on their way.

Shin had seen it on the map earlier, but was surprised when he saw how the Rodano River had enlarged in its eastern part, whose waters were the ones that flowed out to form the huge lake. It had widened so much that an entire area of Port Valais was now underwater where once there had been a coastal town with docks. The Rodano had changed its tributary from Lavey Morcles to that part of the lake, leaving the land under water where once there had been towns and some fields of crops in the old days. More than two hundred years had not passed in vain in that place.

Search vessels were scarcer at that hour, but could still be seen in the vicinity, or on the surface of the lake. Over Port Valais was where the first radars had detected the appearance of the plane, although there was not as much wreckage in that part as there was in Lugrin. The problem was the several kilometers to the crash site, however small they were, there were still pieces all along the way, not counting those that might have fallen into the water. There weren't too many bodies in that area either, but search efforts had expanded into the wooded areas.

Lizbeth had contacted Carissia, to ask her how everything was going, but the redhead was closer to Saint Gingolph, in the area of the thick Leman forest, helping the search parties in the area.

In the Noville area there was hardly any movement. That area had also been evacuated in case of emergency, so it was almost completely silent. Lizbeth parked the car in a viewpoint facing the lake and they both got out of the car to stretch their legs for a few moments.

The night was not exactly cold, but a fresh breeze was coming in and the temperature was sure to drop further in just a couple of hours.

A hundred meters away Shin observed the museum of curiosities they were targeting, it was on a corner and was only illuminated by the street lights. The owner of the museum had already been contacted and assured that he would arrive at the usual time. He had thought about taking the days off because of what had happened and therefore there would be no visitors, but the call from the SID asking for collaboration had made him change his decision.

Even so, there were still a few hours left before the place would open. Lizbeth looked at the sky, in just one hour the region was covered with thick clouds.

"Well we'll just have to wait," Lizbeth said and arched her back slightly as she stretched. Her long flowing hair fluttered in the wind.

"Yeah." Shin looked at her. She had put on cargo pants and a camouflage tank top, he for his part simply had on a t-shirt, dark pants and a jacket. "Aren't you cold?" it was a nice sight to see her in those clothes, but she was really unsheltered from the waist up. That tanktop didn't even cover her belly button.

"I'm going to put something on now, that coverall and the hangar security suits all day have been making me hot despite the internal ventilation, I needed that shower."

"Well, it's not like you guys needed showers anyway, the particle bath would have sufficed."

"And miss the excuse to take a shower together? No. Never!" She said with a smile as she put her hands on her waist.

Nothing had happened in the shower, but Shin supposed it had put her in a good mood, after the busy day they'd had.

"I hope Mai gets some rest," he said.

"Don't worry, already after the shower she was making a sleepy face and yawning. Even if she doesn't want to, she's going to fall asleep."

Shin went to the front of the car and, sitting on the hood, lit a cigarette. Lizbeth gestured with one of her arms and a sleeve appeared first, then the rest of a short jacket. She had the turtle backpack in the car but the summoning link of her Neurowire and decompression worked even at a distance of a few meters. She went and sat down next to him.

For a few moments they did not speak, simply admired the calmness of the waters and how the wind swayed the branches of the nearby trees.

"How quiet it is," she said.

He nodded, exhaling a puff of smoke. "It doesn't look like anything has happened."

"Well, not here."

Shin turned to her and since she was on his right side, he couldn't see that she was looking at him, but he could almost sense it. She was smiling at him.

Shin leaned closer and then kissed her.

"I want another." He did so. "Another."

Shin kissed her again and then their tongues came into contact. They kissed for a few seconds, until Shin felt something with his tongue. It was something pointed. He turned his head a few inches away from her and there he saw that her eyes were glowing with a crimson glow. Her eyes had changed and the perfect teeth had changed too. The front teeth were now pointed.

"I'm sorry. It was activated without thinking."

"I don't mind," he said, and kissed her again.

That was part of Lizbeth's fey ability. While her main ability resided in her vocal cords, those changes in her eyes and teeth were part of it. Lizbeth's voice was cheerful and melodious, but the truth was that she could use it as a weapon. It was the reason she had earned the title of Banshee. Beyond that, her voice could also be even more spellbinding when she used it with those changes.

She always had it under control, although in some situations, almost always emotional, it could manifest itself without warning. The night before, when the three of them had made love, it had manifested itself when she had climaxed, which had caused the three of them to continue even more, due to the effects of the voice. Shin could not help but remember the night before, as he kissed her.

A few seconds later the changes had disappeared and she looked away to the lake and smiled weakly. "I guess I'm happy in spite of what happened. Does it make me a bad person?"

"No. Disasters happen. Dark Events are not our fault. We're just doing our job."

"It's a shame the ceremony was canceled."

"It doesn't matter. As long as I get the badge and can work with both of you it's enough." he said and kissed her forehead.

"You two need to stop doing that," Lizbeth was even more flushed.

"The what?"

"Kissing me on the forehead."

"Why? It's a beautiful forehead."

Lizbeth looked at him blushing. "You always have such weird ways of complimenting. Besides, my forehead is sensitive."

"It's the truth," he said. "But it's part of your charm, I've always liked your forehead. Not to mention that your headbutt can put a small planet out of orbit."

"You're so mean!" She said protesting. "You said the same thing to Mai about her hips and butt, don't you?"

Shin was laughing internally as she playfully smacked him. The last remnants of the cigarette were extinguished and he flicked the butt into the nearby garbage can a couple of meters away. In one of the blows she grabbed his crotch, trying to tease him, but she was surprised.

"Do you have an erection?" she said smiling mischievously and slid her hand down his pants. Then she pulled away and brought her hands to her hair. She was pulling her hair into a ponytail.

Shin tried to smile at her. "No, no, no. It's not the time. It'll come down."

Lizbeth made a disappointed face. "You really don't want to? I wouldn't mind."

"We just had a bath, and if we start we're not going to stop." Shin wanted to, but it wasn't the time or place to do something like that.

"It's a pity."

Lizbeth was always more determined than Mai, but it was true that this was going to make them uncomfortable after all she had seen that day. After about five minutes everything went back to normal.

They both simply stood close to each other looking out over the water. Lizbeth's ears were red, she was having second thoughts and Shin was right, but she couldn't shake the idea that she would have liked something else to happen. But it was true, after what they had seen earlier in the day, it was not the time for it.

Lizbeth finally pulled away and went to the back of the car to open the trunk.

"Do you want something to drink?" she asked.

"Whatever you drink, I'm fine with anything," Shin replied and walked towards her.

"A glass of milk?" Lizbeth asked and Shin just stared at her. Almost instantly she blushed. "I just want it to sleep, it's not a double hint or nothing," she then covered her chest with her jacket. "I'm not going to give you any of mine either."

"I didn't say anything, you don't have to explain."

On the luggage rack Lizbeth had a machine that reminded Shin of a coffee maker, but it had buttons that he guessed were different drinks held in small cubes. Finally, as she, took a glass of milk.

"Are you okay? You look tired," Lizbeth asked as she held the warm glass in her hands.

"Yes I saw myself in the mirror, but I don't feel very tired honestly."

"You're not lying to me, are you?"

Shin leaned closer and kissed her forehead again. "I'm not lying to you.

"If you really want I can give you. Maybe you'll feel better if you drink magic essence."

"No, I don't need to. If I did I know what would happen next. Besides, I already drank last night."

"That's not what I mean." She reached out her hand towards the vehicle again and instantly a small 200 milliliter bottle appeared in her hand which she threw towards him.

Shin caught the bottle in mid-air and looked at her. "You two want to get me addicted or something?"

"Now you suck it up. That's your fault after all. Before I didn't produce much when I was with Mai and since you came back I have to do it every day."

"I'm sorry." Shin looked at her a little guiltily and then extended the bottle toward her. "Thanks… for the drink."

"It's from today, so drink it," she told him smiling mischievously and extending a thumb. "100% fairy milk."

They finished their drinks and after a few minutes returned to the car. The temperature was already dropping considerably and he could see that Lizbeth was already feeling cold.

In the car she changed the configuration and the two seats merged into one as they reclined. Shin already knew that many times she had used it as a bed and had to admit that it was quite comfortable inside for two people.

She ran a hand over the top of the car and the roof inside became transparent. The two of them were huddled together and for a few moments they looked up at the cloud-covered sky. In a way that image reminded them of some nights in the past, where they had slept out in the open, lost somewhere in the world. The difference was that many of those nights they had felt the breeze. Now they were warm with the car's conditioning system.

"I wonder if Mai is asleep?" Lizbeth asked.

"I hope so," Shin replied and hugged her.

Lizbeth clung even closer to him and spoke in a softer tone, although Shin noticed some concern in her voice. "Mai is afraid."

"What are you talking about?"

"We're fine, as we are now. But do you think we'll do this forever?" Shin looked at her and she continued. "You know there have been cases where, all of a sudden, feys have fallen into dormancy and when they woke up they found they had lost everything. Friendships, families, home. That terrifies Mai and to be honest it terrifies me too."

Shin looked at her and she continued. "We have achieved what we wanted, we have fought, we have suffered, we have been tortured, persecuted. And in spite of that we kept going. But, as time goes by, we can't do anything. We have done enough, don't you think? One day we may fall asleep and then what?"

"I thought you two compensated by taking longer breaks."

"Yeah, that doesn't mean we won't fall into a deep sleep someday. What's going to happen then? Mai is afraid that it will happen someday and when she wakes up everything will have changed. All the work of years gone. Why do you think she continues to be the director of operations?"

"Hasn't she thought about quitting?"

"Yes. But it scares her too. We've been doing this for so long. But someday Nevermore will disappear too, it may be a day like tomorrow or a hundred or thousand years from now but someday it all comes to an end. And if we fall into a dream, what happens? Today Nevermore is necessary for the world, but it may not always remain so. Opinions change a lot, even if we are already accepted, we know enough that civilizations can very easily take a step back in their values. On the other hand she feels it is her responsibility to carry the leadership of Nevermore, because of all those who have died along the way, she wants to carry the memories of the fallen into the future."

Shin looked at her, he could almost feel her voice getting a little heavier. He didn't like that tone, he knew it was reminiscent of how he had found her, broken and on the verge of death in an Ahnenerbe dungeon. He pulled her tighter against him.

"If that should happen to us, promise you will stay by our side. We waited too long, even if our memories are blurred we know that the four of us-"

Shin put a finger to her lips. She was about to say something she shouldn't have. Memories of that fight in Turkey came back to his mind. He had seen Lizbeth's throat explode from saying the wrong thing and Mai fade away. That fight had put a lot of pieces in place, but the three of them knew better than to say it. The feys couldn't remember the Other Side. And they did, albeit in a blur, remember.

"There is nothing in this world that wants to make me move from where I am. I'm happy with both of you. I really am and I don't intend for that to change. Even if you both were to fall asleep, the two of us will wait for you two to wake up."

Lizbeth opened her eyes and looked at him. "Did you just say the two of us?"

Ah, it slipped out, Shin thought.

Lizbeth smiled and her eyes sparkled, as she snuggled back in. "So you've already made up your mind…"

"It's not like my decision is unique. Kotori must be very confused about this situation. It's something the four of us need to talk about."

"Don't you talk to her every day? "At least it seemed that the sad tone had disappeared in Lizbeth and she was more cheerful.

"Yes, she handles all the assistance stuff for me, I have to talk to her almost every day."

"But you don't talk about anything else?"

"It's a little confusing, what should I tell her? Do you remember the night we were together? Do you want to be part of a foursome? The poor thing must be more confused than we are about what happened."

"Don't be so sure. Mai and I talked to her too."

"You guys talk almost every day, I know." Shin stopped and looked at her. "Have you been with Kotori this month?"

"Yes... when I went to the island for some repairs a couple of weeks ago."

"Did you two…"

"No. Nothing happened. I want it to be the four of us again if it happens next time."

Shin kept quiet. "She hasn't told me anything."

"I think Kotori is a little shy with you, more so than with us."

"She hasn't said anything to me."

"Well, maybe it's because of that feeling some people get. I mean she definitely loves you, but okay. She's had a couple of boyfriends before but I guess seeing herself in this situation is a little weird for her, more than it was for us."

"And you you and Mai?"

"Hasn't Mai told you how she feels?"

"Yes, but it's a little confusing." Shin sighed. "I feel strange now."

"Don't tell me you hate her?"

"Of course not, and you two know it. I'd be a jerk to hate her."

"Well the three of us pushed you that night. In that the four of us are responsible for taking that step."

"But I was more sober, so it's my responsibility. Not to mention I was fully conscious the second time."

"All three of us were. Do you regret it?"

"No," Shin admitted.

Lizbeth smiled a little more. That was a beautiful memory for them, even though it had generated so many embarrassing moments in the days that followed. For some of the SID could smell that something had happened, even though they weren't quite sure what. Kotori wasn't good at lying, so they couldn't put the onus on her to make sure that lie would soon fall.

"So you like her, just like us."

"She's very pretty and she's a very sweet girl. But she terrifies me at the same time. She's a human, not to mention only twenty-four years old."

"Don't treat her like she's a child, she's already an adult," Lizbeth said somewhat sulkily.

"Well, as far as we're concerned she is."

"Kotori has been through more than a normal person goes through. She lost both legs because of the Dark Events. Not to mention all the mental training she had to go through because of her ability. She's a strong woman even though she doesn't look it."

"I know that, I'm not downplaying what happened. On the other hand it is a decision that concerns all four of us, why are you two asking only me?"

"Because we already had feelings for her, even before you came along, but we never understood it until that fight in Turkey. That's when we realized she had a tie with us."

Shin sighed. "Imagine if we went through with this and something happened in the future. That could tear her apart. She doesn't have the experiences we have, she hasn't seen the things we have seen. On the other hand we are traveling around investigating cases, do you think it is fair to leave her on the island, waiting for us to come back once a month to meet again? Every time we go back to the island I see in her eyes how she looks at us when we leave".

"Still... you said the two of us," she said and lifted her head and gave him a kiss before returning to the previous position.

Lizbeth snuggled against Shin's chest and for a few moments said nothing. She herself had checked the last thing Shin had said and she knew that feeling better than anyone else, because she had experienced it in the last few years before Shin disappeared. Shin had always let her go because he wanted her not only to see the world and have new experiences, but also to be safe. Trouble haunted Shin back then and he would never have forgiven himself if something happened to her because of him.

The year before, when he had returned, something had changed, trouble didn't seem to follow Shin like before. But something else had also happened that they could not talk about openly, although all three knew it was there. Kotori was in that puzzle that was their lives, they knew it was an important piece although they did not know how it fit in. Or rather they sensed it, but they were afraid of it too. Shin was right about that. The fact that the four of them had succumbed in those two nights of passion did not take away the problem.

They could love and cherish each other, but they could not talk about what had happened to them on the Other Side and Kotori was in that whirlwind. Kotori knew it too, although it was different for her. She had met Mai and Lizbeth first and Shin later, when he had arrived on the island last year. But it wasn't until the four of them met that they knew there was something between them.

"Do you think we have anything to do with it?"

"With what?"

"With what happened to her?"

Shin hugged her tightly to his chest. "That's horrible. I don't see how that could be possible. I wasn't here when it happened and you didn't know her either, did you?"

Lizbeth shook her head. "You really think there's something behind us?"

"Don't say it."

Lizbeth pressed against his chest. "We'd better rest."

Shin nodded and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Can I... ask you something else?"

"Yes, what is it?"

"Did you really mean it... about the kids?"

Shin knew she was referring to the conversation that had taken place earlier with that professor named Lee. "Yes," he said. "It would be nice, but I think it's a little early."

Lizbeth nodded as well. "It would be nice... I don't want to miss out on anything, we've done enough.…We're entitled to some more happiness.... Don't you think?"

He kissed her head as an answer.

"I want, a family... Someday... A big... family.... Can I... ask you for something else?"

"Yes, but you're already falling asleep."

"Our song…"

Shin looked at her quizzically. "Really?"

"Yes, I miss it... sing it to me, even if it's slow…"

Shin did not consider his voice to be good for interpreting. Lizbeth voice was much more melodious but he did it anyway. "Oh yes, I'm the great pretender, ooh, ooh. Pretending I'm doing well, ooh, ooh.…"

It had been in the sixties of the twentieth century in the Ancient Era, when they had met again after some years, when that song had become her favorite. The Great Pretender. It was a good song, despite the meaning. And, over the years, it had certainly become their song.

Shin continued, but he could almost hear her lips whispering the lyrics softly. As he reached the last few verses he could only hear her calm breathing.

"I'm wearing my heart like a crown...Pretending that you're... Pretending... that you're still around..."
Shin's eyelids were heavy. It was certainly a pity that the ceremony had been cancelled, but they could still be together.

He looked up at the cloud-filled sky. Far beyond now there was life in space, in more ways than one, given the latest adventure in Kazagistan. In another sense he himself was an alien in the universe.

Maybe it would be nice if in the near future they could go into space, there was so much to know out there. And who knew, maybe if it worked out, the four of them could even go.

With that thought he closed his eyes and fell asleep. Pretending that the universe, at least, would give them a break in the future.