Day 7 (The Chamber, The Calm Before the Storm)

Savant reminded Alyssa of Jacob at moments like these; moments where he would adamantly refuse to give out any more information than he had already. The reasons were different, though. Savant was in too much of a hurry and didn't want to explain things more than once; Jacob just liked waiting until the last moment. Thus, she didn't argue as Savant led the way to the library. Jacob followed as well. He hadn't been specifically banned, and he was Alyssa's partner, so he was invited by proxy.

Savant moved briskly down the twists and turns of the Chamber. As usual, the walls melded from their modern-looking office décor into unfinished rock. Alyssa had tried in the past to pinpoint when this happened, but had met with no success. Now it was just one of the many unexplained details in the background, like so many other things. She and Jacob kept pace, not really needing Savant to lead them but letting him do so anyway, as he was the librarian and he listed it among his duties.

“Here we are, here we are!” he muttered to himself, taking a sharp turn. The ceiling, which had until now been barely feet above their head, arched upward into the blackness. Savant moved toward a central table, upon which were piled a number of books, both sloppily opened and meticulously closed and organized. The walls were lined with shelves, and the shelves, too, arched up into the darkness. Savant had boasted, once, that his library held any book ever imagined, and they'd never found reason to fault his claim.

As though he'd prepared it for this specific use, although he almost certainly had no time in which to do so, Savant picked out one of the books from the pile on his table. “This is what I wanted to show you. If Sightless have indeed returned in force, you'll need this guide.” he handed her a book labeled in a language she couldn't read.

“That's not important.” Savant added as he saw her puzzling over the title. “It's a guide to the Army of the Unknowable. Everything I knew about them when I wrote it is in there, which is good, because I've forgotten a lot of it since then.”

Alyssa had been thumbing through the first few pages glancing at the text. Now she was uncertain whether she wanted to be touching it at all. For all she knew, the leather it was bound in was made of human skin.

“It can't harm you. It is merely pictures.” Savant paused. “Still, best not to think on them too hard, lest they be called.” he amended.

“I feel much better.” Alyssa said dryly, and turned the page.

There it was. The hand of the artist – presumably Savant's – had drawn with meticulous care every detail of the Sightless she'd seen earlier that day. Her eye traced its hideous outline, taking in for the second time each detail and being revolted once again. Finally, she closed her eyes and turned the page. Best listen to Savant's advice; the last thing they needed was another monster on their hands. The detail, however, had been so perfect as to make her wonder something.

“Savant,” she asked. “did you have a captive model for that drawing? Are our cells capable of holding such a thing?” She was thinking back to when she'd first arrived, and the Harpy had been on display for her.

Savant nodded reluctantly. “Yes ma'am. At least, according to my notes I did. I understand there was a time where creatures like him were far more common; it was my job as librarian to catalog them all. I must add, I'm very thankful that time has come to pass. With luck, your sighting was an isolated one.”

Alyssa was listening with only half of her attention. Her eyes were glued to the book she was flipping through. She found a diagram of a Harpy, some minor creatures she'd seen before and others she hadn't. Toward the end, the diagrams moved back to the subject of the Sightless; apparently the human sort that Alyssa had dealt with were but one sort that could be created. The art depicted the human form grotesquely transformed; Sightless with their limbs bent and broken so as to have four legs. They moved by their talons, she surmised, some sort of horrific Sightless-Harpy hybrid. Further abominations filled each page she turned, and she found herself turning them faster, an uneasy stomach not allowing her to rest too long. All the time she did so, Savant's warning kept her from looking too closely. Best to merely glance. Best to not call them.

She reached the last page quickly. There was a shadowy figure drawn there, a mere charcoal sketch of what might be a person, but angular and yet indistinct at the same time. A creature of smoke, it seemed, but it seemed to have eyes and it was definitely wielding a weapon. “Savant, what is this thing?”

His eyes widened. “That is the only creature I was unable to draw from first-hand experience. It was only after a very long time that we obtained enough secondhand knowledge for me to sketch it. 'Sketch' is the wrong word, though the work may look that way to you, I assure you, I got all the details correct. That is a Soldier of the Unknowable, and it has been a very very long time, perhaps centuries, since one has been seen.”

Alyssa didn't really want to know more. Having met even the lower commanding ranks of the Army of the Unknowable was by far the most she ever wanted to have firsthand knowledge of. She shut the book and put it back on Savant's pile. He immediately picked it up and put it in some other random place at the table. She paid it no mind; his filing system made sense to him and him alone.

“I think maybe Yael's ready for us” Jacob opined from out of nowhere. She'd never found out how he always seemed to know when the Council was ready to hear them. She knew he'd never tell her even if she asked – it was simply one of the things he could to.

Savant nodded and waved them off, already deep into researching some other book. Apparently, his idea of helping Alyssa to cope with the slaughter she'd done was to show her how much worse it could have been. Somehow, it wasn't helpful.

Their walk back to the council's meeting area was mostly silent. Toward the end, however, just past whatever point it was where stone ceased to be stone and became drywall, Jacob spoke up.

“You know Richard, yes?” he asked.

Of course she knew Richard. “Councilman Richard, you mean? Yeah, I've only seen him about a hundred times by now.”

If Jacob felt the rebuke, he didn't show it. “The Councilman used to be a Road Man.” he turned to face her. “He was my partner.”

With that, he turned and continued walking, leaving a befuddled Alyssa standing where she was.

What the hell was that all about? She couldn't help wondering as she hurried to catch up. She'd spoken to Richard a few times, but there was mainly the working relationship and that was it. She'd had no idea he used to be a Road Man – she didn't even know it was possible to give up such a role. Though given the amount of time the councilman tended to be away from the Chamber, perhaps he hadn't.

She and Richard got along fine, she reflected, but what of him and Jacob? The few times she'd seen them in the same place, they'd seemed civil. Perhaps a bit too civil; it wasn't relaxed as he was around Yael or the others. Even Gideon, who tended to be abrasive and loud, got along with Jacob and vice versa. So why the warning.

She had other things to worry about, she finally decided. Putting the matter from her mind for the moment, she turned and entered the Council's meeting room.

Yael and Chad were there, as well as Gideon who appeared to have ran all the way from wherever it was he'd been staying.

“Thank you for coming.” Yael began calmly. This itself was disquieting; Yael hardly ever started the meetings out formally. “I'd like to also thank you for your excellent work in bringing the Sightless to our attention. It is now time for us to let you know what other teams such as yours have discovered.”

At this, Gideon stood. “You two were the first to return back here with word of the monster. Soon after you did so, I understand that Yael and Chad heard testimony from a number of teams who had met unexpected resistance.” his voice reflected annoyance that he'd not been privy to these meetings. “Some of our teams have not yet returned, and are overdue.” his tone darkened further, implying that if he were on watch, things would be different. Alyssa paid no attention to the tone, however, as it seemed to be Gideon's default way of speaking.

Gideon sat abruptly, apparently having said what was important to him, and Chad jumped to his feet. “You see, Savant and I have spoken in the past, and it seems we are at a crossroads of events here.” he fidgeted nervously as he talked. “We – that is to say, he and I and other members of this council as are here today – we believe that the Voice is attempting to direct its followers to create another Storm, such as the ones which were made in the past.” He stood silently for a moment or two before sitting down as well. The silence stretched on.

Alyssa didn't know what a Storm was, but it was plain that Jacob did. Great, she found herself thinking, yet more danger she wasn't prepared for. Jacob cleared his throat. “When and where?” he said simply.

At this, Chad's fidgeting went up an octave. Gideon very pointedly looked anywhere but at Jacob, clearing his throat as though he were about to speak and then not doing so. Finally, Yael spoke.

“We are not certain. We have pinpointed three likely locations. Chad and I shall go to one, Gideon and Katherine another, and I would ask that you and Alyssa go to the final one.” she said this very somberly. “This is more than I've ever asked either of you. If you do not wish to go, you do not have to. But it is very important, and we have asked you first because we believe the both of you to be the most capable in our employ.”

“I will go.” Jacob answered at once.

Alyssa had no idea, really, what she was getting herself into. Anything that would take all of the council but one – and that one not being currently there anyway – must be something extremely dangerous. It was also, Yael had said, extremely important.

“I'm there.” she said. In her mind, it took her forever to answer. To all the others, she had spoken as immediately as Jacob.

“Very well.” Yael said, looking somewhat relaxed. “I have spoken to Richard regarding transportation, and he has made arrangements. I trust you will not need his advice in this matter as usual, Jacob, but nonetheless you must speak to him for your directions.”

Alyssa glanced quizzically toward Jacob, but his face was as unreadable as ever. He merely acknowledged the instructions with a nod.

“Go then. I dismiss you.” Yael said formally. Alyssa could have sworn she'd heard a tinge of sadness in the voice.

(( CHAPTER 5: THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM ))

The car was not cold – one of its many minor gifts was to be of perfect temperature at all times. Alyssa felt cold as she rode in it, though. The wind outside was picking up, and she could see the way it moved the trees, feel the way it played with the car. It made her feel as though there were nothing between her and it. When they'd gone into the Chamber, it'd been light and the weather had been mild. Now it was late afternoon, and clouds were beginning to gather in the direction they were driving. Rain clouds, she thought, and instantly corrected: Storm Clouds.

“What was that about, earlier, when you told me about Richard?” she asked suddenly. The trip was going to take a few hours – it always seemed to take a few hours – and she had nothing else to occupy her time.

Jacob glanced at her. While he was driving, he was normally inviolate of the laws of traffic; he never moved his hands from the 10:00 and 2:00 position, he always buckled up and he never ever took his eyes off the road. She'd either upset or intrigued him greatly, and she wasn't too sure she liked the result.

He looked back, and the tension passed. When he spoke, it was with his old familiar tone. “Richard was not just a partner of mine. He was my first partner. When I first came on to this job, he was my mentor. A lot like I am now, to you, at least as far as responsibilities go. I don't know if you look up to me at all – I'd like to think so – but the important thing is that I looked up to him.”

There was a lull in the conversation. Alyssa spoke up. “I was under the impression that you two didn't get along.”

Jacob didn't answer immediately. “We don't. It is not his fault, you must understand. He is impeccably qualified to be a councilman, and his judgement is sound. It is my fault, I simply cannot let go.”

More silence filled the car. Alyssa wanted to speak up to say something, to offer words of assurance, but she didn't even really know what Jacob was referring to, let alone how to comfort him.

“The Storm the council spoke of,” he began, “is not a normal storm. You've probably guessed that, but I'll go into some more detail here. You know the tales of missing people?”

Alyssa looked at him confusedly. “You mean like on the side of milk cartons?”

Jacob frowned. “Yes and no. Let me rephrase it. You know of tales of missing cities? Roanoke and the like? Places where strange phenomenon happen, things go in but don't come out, that sort of thing?”

Alyssa nodded, thinking she knew what he was getting at. “Like the Bermuda Triangle?”

Jacob grimaced. “Not exactly, but close enough for our purposes. See, you've heard of places like that, because you've heard of stories from them. People, who may or may not be making it all up, claim to have witnessed these things. A Chaos Storm is different.”

“So now it's a not just a regular storm, then?”

Jacob smiled bitterly. “It never was, remember? No, this is a storm cooked up by the Unknown and the Unknowable, for whatever reason they have. They get their Sightless and others to go around getting the setting just right, and if they do, they can call it. The storm, it... eats, for lack of a better word. Small ones will take a few people, a block at most. Really small ones like that are even a natural phenomenon, so far as we can tell. The ones that the Sightless cook up, though, those will eat a whole town if they're not stopped in time. Maybe more. And here's the thing that makes them different from your legends, Alyssa. Nobody knows about them. If a Storm eats up a town, it's gone, and nobody remembers it was even there. People like you and I, if we're far enough away, we stand a chance. That's the only reason any one of us even knows this kind of thing happens. Otherwise, the whole world could get eaten, and we'd be none the wiser.”

The silence seemed only to get louder after Jacob stopped talking.

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