Unlikely Partnership

“Why would you help me?” Aelius growled, leaning forward and holding his lighter protectively before him, his thumb twitching on the ignition.

“Gratitude?” the Charian replied with a low chuckle. He remained hidden in the shadows of the room, sitting at a desk the lamp aimed at their visitor. Before him was an empty seat, behind which the Gervian stood guardedly.

“How can I trust that? I don’t even know you!” came the reply, a note of stress in the voice.

“Oh but you do...” the Charian leant forward then, bringing his face into the light.

“Quinisbert!” Aelius sibilated, as he stepped back, although the lighter remained firmly grasped in his hand. Behind him the door hissed shut, but the Gervian ignored it. His focus was entirely on the Charian.

A smile came to Quinisbert’s lips as the Gervian recoiled from the sight he presented. The last time the two had met, his face had been melted and his eye ruined. Housed now in the socket was a camera which whirled as it automatically brought Aelius’s face into focus.

“In honour of that encounter, let us not engage in frivolous fabrications. Although it is true that I must acknowledge your role in the procurement of a new optical organ, it is not for that I had you brought here.”

“I was not brought...” the Gervian retorted immediately and Quinisbert couldn’t help but grin as realisation dawned on his rival’s face. Yes, he had been rather ingenius with his lure. Rumours of an illicit Pandeus synthesising plant were leaked to the right people and soon enough the Gervian had fallen into his snare.

“Why then?” Aelius finished with a frown.

“Fascination.”

“Fascination?”

“Indeed. You proved your abilities most admirably when last we met. They say the curse of the Charian is Pandeus. Perhaps this is true. I like to imagine, however, that it is curiosity. And the most fascinating specimen that I have yet encountered just happens to be sitting there in that chair.”

“I am not some freak to be cut...” Aelius shouted, rising to his feet, his thumb flicking the ignition so that a small flame stood flickering between the two men. Behind the Charain was some movement, proving that he was not alone in this interrogation.

“Do not misjudge my intention!” Quinisbert snapped, raising a hand and cutting the Gervian off. The guards at his back halted, and returned to their post in the shadows.

“Your race possesses the ability to manipulate matter in a manner not fully understood by our scientists. I should like the opportunity to study just how it is that you can produce, aggrandize, and then control that most voracious of all the elements, fire.”

When Aelius still did not reply, the Charian raised his arm and a small catch opened. From it flowed a yellow light which circled his limb, bathing it in a warm aurora. Quinisbert studied the Gervian as the latter became mesmerised with the interplay between the light and shadows, and he allowed a small smile to touch his lips at the impact of its power.

“These are developed from our latest technology. Nanites. Tiny robotic implements which are housed in a compartment under the skin. When released they seek out and suture damaged flesh. After the wound is contained, they then fuse together to form a new layer of flesh over which the natural process can then restore skin at a heightened pace. Once the healing is complete, they revert to their initial form and are restored to their container automatically.”

“And you want to give me that in exchange?” Aelius asked. He stood glaring at the Charian for a moment longer. Quinisbert did not immediately reply, gesturing instead at the empty chair. Aelius eventually took the place offered to him, although the flame remained quivering as a warning between them.

“Should you desire it, yes.” Quinisbert replied as though nothing had happened. He paused a moment for dramatic effect before adding more.

“I have another use in mind for them, however, which I think will interest you more. When you threatened me before, you formed a small ball of flame in your hand. How far could you throw this?”

Aelius frowned at the question, his eyes locked on those of the Charian.

“A metre at most,” he said at length, clearly unwilling to part with his secrets.

“I had suspected as much,” Quinisbert replied with a firm nod. “I have explained that nanites function by fusing together in order to produce a membrane over which flesh can form. If my theory is correct, then I believe it is possible for them to create a matrix which would contain flame. The added structure and mass would allow it to be cast over a far greater distance.”

“Are you seriously expecting me to believe you can turn me into some kind of magician, throwing fireballs around?” Aelius retorted, shaking his head.

“Leave us,” Quinisbert said, turning his head. A door behind him opened and the barely perceptible figures in the background filed from the room. Their silhouettes were framed momentarily by the light outside before that, too, was extinguished as it hissed shut.

“I see that this will not be enough. Perhaps I have something else I can offer you,” Quinisbert continued once the door had locked with a metallic click. He then rose from his seat, Aelius lifted his lighter at the sudden movement, but the Charian raised a hand to placate him, not moving again until the Gervian relaxed a little. Quinisbert then came around the desk and stood before the seated Gervian.

“What if...” he began, reaching out with a long arm and then pinched out the flame from the lighter before the Gervian could react.

Aelius jerked his arm back, and frantically pawed at the ignition button. The first time clicked harmlessly, the second brought the flame flickering back to life.

“... you did not have to rely on that toy?”

Quinisbert expected the Gervian to continue to panic, even tensing a little against the expected burn. When that did not immediately come, he relaxed and thought instead that the Gervian would begin to interrogate him about what was being offered. He allowed himself a quick lip lick in anticipation.

The lack of response lasted a few seconds, before Aelius slowly rose to his feet, and extinguished the lighter, causing Quinisbert to frown in confusion.

The Gervian turned and walked towards the locked door behind him. He made no move to try and unlock it, however, simply remaining standing with his back to the Charian. He shook his head from time to time. Clearly he was running things through his mind, but without being able to see his face, Quinisbert was unable to decipher about what.

“Had you meant to harm me, I am sure you would have by now,” Aelius said at length, still looking away. Quinisbert paused, but remained silent, aware that the statement was rhetorical.

“This, then, begs the question. Just what do you expect from me?” With this said, he turned at last.

WARNING: PSIONIC ACTIVITY DETECTED!

Quinisbert blinked as the warning flashed up from his new cybernetic eye’s display. It whirled quietly as the focus zoomed in on the Gervian’s face, moving rapidly around mouth, to nose and settling finally on the eyes, where it was now obvious that the retinas seemed to flare up with an inner fire.

INITIATING COUNTER MEASURE! PSIONIC DAMPER ACTIVATING!

NEGATIVE! Quinisbert internalised with a silent scream, his thought immediately shutting the process down. Internally, his mind was whirling, fired up by the sudden injection of adrenaline applied as soon as the abnormality was detected. Externally, he maintained his features carefully neutral, well aware of the Gervian ability to sense the thoughts of others.

The possibility that this was a preliminary strike designed to off balance him crossed his mind. Discarding this, he continued to analyse the scenarios his brain presented in nanoseconds before settling on the certainty that this was a test by the Gervian of his true intentions. Snaring this possibility, he used it to still the growing sense of panic.

“That is a very impressive piece of kit you have Quinisbert,” Aelius persisted, entirely unaware of the racing thoughts of his counterpart. He walked back to his seat and sat once more. He splayed his legs out and leaned back with a smirk.

“Optical scanner, model Z19?” Aelius continued once he was comfortable. “I suspect you have installed the psionic damper also? I would guess that your model is spliced with your brainstem and therefore able to override psionic attacks? I have heard that it is most effective against illusionary strikes, but has had recorded success at preventing empathic interrogation.”

“How...” Quinisbert managed to return, not quite able to hide how shaken he was by this sudden reversal of fortunes. “How can you know this? The Z19 is a highly classified device and protected under the Valearian convention for internal security.”

Aelius remained quiet, his annoying smirk still touching his lips. He was clearly enjoying the unexpected switch in roles. Quinisbert returned to his own seat with a sigh, other possible scenarios still firing through his mind. The Charian noted with some relief that the flare had faded from his counterpart’s eyes, but the temptation to activate the psionic damper remained overwhelming.

“Disregarding the highly unlikely case of industrial espionage, there are only two possibilities that I can imagine. Either, we actually work for the same organisation and this is a exceptionally unfortunate occurrence whereby the left hand has not spoken to the right. Or the alternative... has never been proven to actually exist and is therefore even less likely.” He sighed again, looking down at his feet as he shook his head. This was not the time to let emotion override his senses. This was business and the plan must continue.

“We should like the opportunity to study you in detail and to witness your powers at work a scientifically controlled environment. We have, of course, fully dissected Gervian cadavers, but there is only so much that can be learned from such an unwilling or uncooperative participant,” he finished. Qunisbert raised his head once more to look the Gervian in the eyes as he spoke. He was rewarded by the Gervian’s retinas flaring red again. He struggled to fight the desire to activate the damper once more.

“Has this operation actually been sanctioned by your superiors?” Aelius asked, his eyes fading to normal again. The question caught Quinisbert off guard.

How could he possibly know that?

“No” he replied, maintaining the eye contact. Aelius stood up suddenly, his laugh a deep throated rumble. He put the lighter in his pocket, leaned forward over the desk and extended his hand to the Charian. Quinisbert looked on bewildered and merely blinked, unsure of how to respond.

“Shake my hand, it is Gervian tradition when two gentlemen strike a deal. I will cooperate willingly in your tests in exchange for the great pyrotechnical ability you have promised.”

I had thought that this process would be enjoyable, Quinisbert mused as he took the offered hand in his own.

But if he continues to behave in so arbitrary and illogical a manner then I am not quite so sure...

(by Gareth Kay)