The Battle Royale S2 [Round 4: Burnination Studios]

From the outside, the Order of Endymion's Chapel of the Final Days looked like any of a hundred other apartment buildings in the area. This was by design - theocratic regimes are rarely appreciative of competing religions, and so advertising tends to be counterproductive.

Of course, the particular approach the Order had taken meant it was hard to find the Chapel even when you knew where it was. Pila and Catena had lead their guest around the actual building three or four times before he finally suggested double-checking the address.

"Oh," Pila said, rummaging through his pocket for a piece of paper. "Hang on, got to decode it again... carry the three, double that... oh." He glanced at the nearby building again. "Well, what do you know? It looks like this is the place!"

"I suppose Brother Lanston is better at reading addresses than capturing Winged Arbiters," Catena mused. "Perhaps he should ask the Matriarch to reassign him."

"That's enough out of you both," he grumbled, heading towards the building. "I'm heading in. Are you coming along, or do you have a busy day of not finding any recruits to go back to?"

"May as well," Pila grumbled. "There's a meeting tonight anyhow, no sense walking all the way out here twice."

As they approached the building, a small slot opened in the door and a pair of glowing blue eyes glanced back.

"State your names and present identification," the guard said in a gruff voice.

"Brother Pila," the first cultist said, presenting a card and pulling off his hood.

"Sister Catena," said the second, doing the same.

"Brother Lanston," said the third figure, pulling a card out of his cloak, and placing a hand to his hood.

"No need for that, Brother Lanston," the guard quickly said. "Your rank exempts you from that particular requirement."

"So it does. I keep forgetting." He laughed as he lowered his hand and put his card away. "Good thing you doormen are always so eager to remind me."

The blue eyes looked them over for a few seconds, then the slot closed and the door opened slightly.

"Enter."

---

Wardell had expected to be caught up in a high-speed chase when he got in. Geoff had certainly been in a hurry, and Jeremy had bolted in after closing the tunnel entrance, but after a few minutes of running, Wardell slowed to a walk as he realized two things.

First, Geoff was so far ahead of them that it probably wasn't worth catching up. Either he'd get to the cultist first or they weren't going to catch him at all before reaching the chapel.

Second, Jeremy was more interested in catching up to Ellena, judging by how much slower he started running once they were side-by-side.

It seemed her heart wasn't really in the chase either, given that they started talking not long after.

"How did you open the door, anyways?" Ellena asked.

"Oh, uh, how... that's actually kind of a tricky question to answer, it's just something I've been able to do..."

"Opening doors?"

"Any door. And that's just for a start! I can make a door connect to another door, so you can walk in one and out a different one! I can even make a door exit out the same side, I should show you sometime..."

"So you could have brought us right to the other side of this tunnel from the entrance?" Wardell muttered, only-half-listening. "That would have saved us some trouble."

"Welll... that's a funny thing. Both sides of the door have to be the same size and shape. That hidden panel's not exactly a regulation shape. I guess it's possible there's a door on the other side of the tunnel that's exactly the same, but I doubt it. I could check if you wanted to head back."

"But you could take us to the cult headquarters from another door?" Ellena asked.

"I could! If I knew a little more about it. There's a lot of doors on Endymion, you see. I can kind of get a sense of where I'm trying to link to. But to be sure I was pointing us at the right spot, I'd either need to know where the church is, or at least something distinctive about the place."

Wardell stopped bothering to listen at all. He already knew more than he really cared to about what Jeremy could do, and besides which, he'd just reached the chapter on genetics research in A Comprehensive History of Endymion and it had grabbed his attention. In the back of his mind, he wondered if Geoff had caught that guy yet.

---

As it turned out, Geoff hadn't caught that guy yet, but he was much closer than expected. The cultist had stopped dead in his tracks at an intersection that broke off into dozens of tunnels, and was glancing through them, seemingly paralyzed at the thought of making a decision.

Geoff tried to sneak up on him, but unfortunately it seemed the panicked cultist hadn't yet ruled out running back down the tunnel he'd come from. He turned around, saw a pursuer, and screamed before rushing away in a seemingly random direction.

Geoff rushed after him. As he entered the tunnel, he fired a crossbow bolt into the wall so the others could see which path he'd taken.

If he weren't in such a hurry, he might have looked back in time to see the black sludge leaking from the wall, engulfing the bolt, and pulling it in.

---

"What do you mean, the Matriarch's busy?"

Sister Pharen rolled her eyes, not that it was clear under the shadow of her hood. Lanston was always like this. The Matriarch, as head of the Order, had numerous duties and the vast majority of them were more important than meeting with one member, even if he was a key operative.

Of course, it was no good explaining that to Lanston, and Pharen had long ago learned not to even bother.

"Something urgent came up. She expects to be free within the hour. In the meantime, we have a perfectly nice waiting room you can use." She chuckled very slightly. "Or perhaps you'd care to pass the time by socializing with our other members before the service."

"Very funny, Sister. You can at least tell her I'm waiting."

"Normally, I could," Pharen agreed, knowing full well she wouldn't have. "But as it happens, in this particular case I have strict orders not to interrupt until the Matriarch leaves. No one is allowed in or out, no exceptions."

"Huh. What's going on that's so important, then? I'm high enough rank to know that."

Regrettably, Pharen realized, he was.

"A reject. A particularly strange one. Someone called a containment team and we intercepted the call and grabbed it ourselves."

"So it's a new recruit, is that it?"

"I don't know any more than I just told you. If you're burning with curiosity, you can ask the Matriarch when she's done. Assuming she cares to tell you anything, of course."

"I'll pass. The only questions I ever need to ask her are 'what do you need me to do' and 'how much are you going to pay'."

"Truly, your simple nature is an inspiration to us all, Brother Lanston. Now why don't you take a seat?"

"Fine. I just hope this doesn't take long." He walked away from the desk and sat down.

Then he promptly cried out in pain.

"Those damn fools!" he shouted. "They put a leg muscle in the wrong place! I can't sit like this!"

Pharen winced.

"Well, fix it. Somewhere private, if you don't mind."

"I will, I will. Ugh, she'd better not get back before I'm done, I may have to disassemble the whole thing..."

Pharen did not politely ask him not to go into more detail, because she knew it would only encourage him to do the exact opposite.

---

Wardell was annoyed. First there had been that scream echoing down the corridors, now after rushing to see if Geoff had caught the cultist, they'd just come across a mass of identical passages.

"Don't suppose your book can tell us which way to go, Ward?" Jeremy asked hopefully.

Wardell flipped through quickly, and shook his head.

"The tunnels are a mess. Most of them have been around since the planetoid was first constructed, and only the church has access to those records. Public Works has been mapping as they go and add new stuff, except some tunnels don't get listed because some corrupt official wants a place to hide some bodies or some genetic equality sympathizers want a nice secret path to a safehouse. I think it's a safe bet this part won't be documented at all."

"So how are we going to get through?" Ellena asked. "If we catch the cultist, maybe we can get him to tell us the path, but we'd have to find him first."

"If he even knows," Jeremy said. "He took off in a hurry, maybe he wasn't even trying to end up at Johnny's." He took one look at Ellena and Wardell's pained faces and hastily added "But he probably knows enough about the building that I can take care of the rest, just need a door."

"That's all well and good, but how are we going to find him? Or find a way back out." Wardell waved his book at the assorted passages. "There's a lot of tunnels here."

Jeremy looked thoughtful, then smiled as a pile of books fell out of Wardell's coat.

"You've read a lot of books, Ward. Ever read Hansel and Gretel?"

"Several times. There are a lot of fairy tale collections." Wardell glanced down at the pile, and to emphasize the point, picked up The Complete Brothers Grimm, The Annotated Brothers Grimm, and The Brothers Grimm Collection and showed them off.

"And you've got how many books in that coat?"

Wardell frowned, though it was hard to tell under the scarf.

"A lot. What's your... oh. Breadcrumbs."

"Only better! They've all got different titles, so we can keep track of different paths. And it's not like they'll get eaten... okay, maybe rats will chew on 'em a bit, but still..."

"You're not taking my books," Wardell protested, but then he recalled that his collection included everything. He wouldn't exactly miss The Exciting Adventures of Jack Borington or Six Hundred Pages of Total Gibberish, Guaranteed Meaningless in 40,000 Languages. "Well, okay, but only the books that aren't any good. Got it?"

"Sure, sure," Jeremy agreed. "Start by putting one down that tunnel we just came through, then another one once we pick which way we're going."

"Fine," Wardell sighed. He looked at the pile at his feet, and picked the least interesting book, The Holy Rites of Grauk-Madaira. "Here's a religious text. They don't believe in ghosts, so it's no good for exorcisms, and it's a slog to read."

He dropped it on the ground behind him.

"Well, that's good at least," Ellena said. "Now, we need to figure out which path we're taking."

"We'll decide that through a very rigorous scientific process," Jeremy said. "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe..."

There was another shriek. Ellena rushed over to one of the tunnels.

"I think it came from here," she said.

"And that's the one we're going down!" Jeremy said, promptly pointing at it. "See? Science works great!"

"Whatever," Wardell grumbled. He followed the other two into the tunnel, and dropped Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Three-Headed Warthogs as he stepped in.

A minute later, something came out of the ground and engulfed the books. There was no trace of them left.

---

In a dark room, the Dream was still afraid, still saying whatever popped into his mind, barely aware that his words were being recorded and analyzed.

And then, suddenly, his voice changed.

"It is time for the First Rite," the Dream said with authority. "Gather all who call themselves faithful, for it is time they prove their devotion."

There was a frenzy as the observers sought to write down every word perfectly. This was more than information - this was a revelation. Whatever came next was sure to be of great importance.

"You will prick my finger, and gather the blood that flows forth in a great vessel. You will fill another vessel with a deep red wine. Give each follower a cup of blood, and a cup of wine. Leave them in solitude to drink. Those truly devoted shall consume the blood. Those who have doubts will drink the wine."

There was immediate murmuring about gathering vessels, but it was interrupted when the voice spoke again.

"When the sun sets, those who drank the wine will perish. Those who drank the blood shall be known as the faithful. When this is done, I will speak to you of the Second Rite."

Then, for a few moments, there was utter silence.

It was only broken by the Dream babbling again.

"What does it mean, Matriarch?" one of the cultists asked. "This creature's ramblings make little sense. Yet this First Rite..."

The Matriarch paced around the confession chamber.

"This is no ordinary reject from Genetics, that much is clear," she said. "Much of what he says suggests Endymion is angry, that it will destroy us all. This is in line with the prophecies. And now, he has given new words to us, the highest echelons of the Order, and calling for a ritual to reveal the devout."

She glanced around the room, and saw the worry in everyone's eyes. They needed to hear from her now.

"If this stranger is truly a messenger from the heavens, then we have little time to waste and this First Rite must be conducted at once. Yet if this is trickery, whether earthly or devilish, we might stray from the path if we follow it. I will need some time in my chambers to pray for guidance. In the meantime, prepare the vessels in case it should be needed. We still have some time before nightfall."

"Yes, Matriarch."

---

"Oh, good, I was wondering where you all were," Geoff said. "I was worried you missed my signal."

"Signal?" Jeremy asked, puzzled.

"Crossbow bolt in the wall. I was in a rush and it was the best option I could think of."

"I guess we missed that," Jeremy admitted sheepishly. "We came when we heard the screaming."

"Ah, yes." Geoff looked down at the unconscious cultist. "I'm hoping he regains consciousness soon."

"Urgh," the cultist muttered.

"Oh, what good timing. Now he can explain it to all of us at once!"

"Gah! Who... you're not with it, are you?"

Everyone glanced around at each other, puzzled.

"What is it?" Ellena asked.

"I don't know! It's black and oozing and it killed the others, Brother Gaufrey was the only one who knew the way back, I have to get to the Chapel, I have to warn the Matriarch!"

"Calm down," Geoff said. "Whatever this thing is, it's not down this stretch of tunnel. And if it is, shouting is just going to lead it right to us."

"Sorry," the cultist whispered. "But I must warn the Matriarch! I believe it is a sign of the End Days!"

Geoff tried hard not to roll his eyes. He'd heard about plenty of signs of the End Days back home, and they never panned out.

Jeremy, for his part, saw an opportunity.

"Well, my friend, you're in luck," he said. "I can get you to your Chapel in a hurry if you just tell me the address."

"It's..." The cultist suddenly reeled back. "You're with the Church, aren't you? You want to lead them to us! I won't, not even if it costs me my life!"

Jeremy groaned.

"Maybe he'll be more convinced if I show him. There's a manhole cover near here, I think it opens into a basement or something. There's plenty I can connect it to, that should give us some cooperation."

"Right." Geoff pointed his crossbow at the cultist. "Get up and march. Jeremy, lead the way. Wardell and Ellena, keep an eye on our guest. We don't want him trying anything, after all."

---

"Back so soon, Brother Lanston?" Sister Pharen asked as he walked back in and sat down.

"Oh, be quiet," he grumbled, tapping his leg. "I've had enough trouble as it is."

Of course, Pharen had no idea what he had really been doing. She didn't know of the secret passage into the Matriarch's office, or how much trouble it had been to go through it.

At least he didn't have to carry that damned device around any more. It was strictly the Matriarch's problem now.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, the Matriarch herself stepped in, looking concerned.

"Ah, Matriarch," he said, standing up. "I've been waiting to see you--"

"Lanston! Just who I wanted to see. Step into my office, something very important has come up and I must discuss it with you at once."

"Of course," he agreed, and followed her in, leaving Sister Pharen to be annoyed that she couldn't actually chastise him for anything.

The Matriarch began talking the moment her guest shut the door.

"Do you have any idea what just happened?" she said. "The reject we picked up started spouting something about a First Rite, and it sounded real! The others are worried about whether to believe it, whether the end is coming, and truth be told, so am I!"

"What, you're actually buying into your own nonsense?"

"It sounded damn convincing. I suspect the prankster's involved, but if they take it seriously, the rite has to be done before nightfall. We have to drink the thing's blood."

"Sounds tasty."

"I'm not in the mood for jokes, Lanston. Nobody here is, given what's been happening. I need you to sneak into Genetics and find any records they have on this thing. Slip by the confession chamber yourself to get a look, I don't have time to describe it. Oh, and grab an antitoxin and a flavor suppressant for me first, just in case we have to go through with this nonsense."

"And the pay?"

The Matriarch sighed, and tossed a pouch of coins at him."

"That's your advance, ten times that when the job's done."

"What if I don't find anything?"

The Matriarch smirked.

"I doubt that will stop you from delivering a report to me, Brother Lanston."

"Fair enough." He headed for the door and opened it a crack. "I hope your mind is at ease now, Matriarch."

"It is. Thank you," she said as he stepped out. She breathed a sigh of relief and walked towards her desk just as Sister Pharen got up to close the door, because Lanston could never be bothered to respect the sanctity of the Matriarch's chamber.

Just as she touched the knob, she heard a loud noise coming from the Matriarch's desk, and turned in shock.

BRRRRRRRTTTT

The Matriarch scowled, and pulled up the cushion from her chair.

"It seems our prankster is more resourceful than we had guessed," she said. "Pharen, call out an alert. No one is to enter or leave until the prankster is caught!"

Meanwhile, down the hallway, Sirius discarded his stolen cloak and opened a window.

"I hope you're satisfied," he said to no one as he leapt out and spread his wings.

It was perfect! Want me to show you the look on her face?

"Not particularly, but I doubt that's going to stop you," he sighed.

---

"See?" Jeremy said, grinning ear to ear. "We went from a messy sewer to a dingy basement. But now, when you look down the hole, what's there?"

The cultist was scratching his head in bafflement.

"The entertainment center? How?" He reached his hand into the hole, hoping to find a ladder to prove it was his eyes playing tricks on him, but no - he felt the hard plastic of the trash container that Jeremy had just opened up.

"I can make it go anywhere! But to get us to your place, I'll need to know a little more. Unless you want me to guess."

"No... no. I'll tell you. Not the address," he said cautiously. "But the other things I know."

With the cultist's description, Jeremy soon had it narrowed down, and worked it out.

"Got it," he said, and the image in the manhole changed. "I think this passage is at the end of the tunnel. We can get in from there. Everyone ready?"

"Oh, thank you!" the cultist said, tears in his eyes. "This door is our... salvation..."

His eyes widened.

"We must go at once!" he said, leaping through the manhole.

"Quick, stop him!" Geoff shouted, rushing through. "We don't want him warning the rest of the cult!"

Wardell shrugged, and stepped in. A moment later, Jeremy did too, arm-in-arm with Ellena.

They were greeted by a dozen hooded cultists, all armed with clubs.

"Intruders! Get them!" shouted the tallest of the figures.

"Wow, he warned them pretty fast," Jeremy muttered.