It wasn’t that Poseidon was unaccustomed to keeping strange hours or that he was not used to getting late phone calls, but it seemed that River was trying to beat her personal record. As opposed to just sending him emails or text messages to get her point across, she seemed almost rabid these days to get ahold of him. While he was usually flattered by such advances, River was quick to immediately drown out any possibility the second he came onto the phone and unloading a harsh series of data points and scientific knowledge, enough to make his head spin. There were times that he would have been fine firing her -- but she always made up for it by bringing him the best possible news. She was ready.
Sitting up from the couch in his office, Jorge sighed as he rolled his neck. The young couple who were curled up on the ground, next to his sofa, momentarily caught his eye. They were a newlywed couple, mutants who wanted to experience the Atlantis Club before they shipped out on their honeymoon adventures in Wisconsin (a heavy eyeroll was inserted). However, their foray into the club had quickly earned Poseidon’s wandering eye. Some chatting, some drinking, and soon enough the pair were convinced to join the older man in his back office for an evening of debauchery that they wouldn’t forget.
It had been a hell of the night. Both had found things about themselves that they didn’t know and, quite frankly, would require some discussion -- just not hear. Standing from the couch, Jorge made his way across the room, pulling a silk bathrobe around his naked frame. As he slipped a cigar between his lips, lighting the end, he took a long breath before he suddenly clapped his hands and turned on the lights. Both the beautifully curved blonde and her dark-haired, bearded beau immediately woke up in confusion, then surprise...and finally a tinge of shame. He smirked, watching them reaching for clothing.
Another clap of his hands and he thanked them for the evening, bid them a fine honeymoon, and kicked them out his office just as they managed to pull on their underwear. Once they were gone, he returned to his desk and to the offending device that had awoken him -- his phone. Picking it up again, he spied the message from River and smirked. If anyone could have cracked this mystery, he knew it was her. Now it was time to change the world.
The halls of the Syndicate headquarters buried deep under the Atlantis Club were a sight to behold. When construction had first started, Jorge would traverse the halls with Charlotte and Helena, overseeing everything to ensure that it was being done correctly. He didn’t cut corners when it came to his own ventures and he wanted to ensure that what he created would last centuries. From those beginnings, he watched as workmen and mutants pieced the headquarters together, slab by slab, until it turned from musty, dank halls filled with equipment, into the smooth, almost sterile pathways that he walked now. Truly it was a testament to his people and what they could make when properly motivated.
Making his way down, he turned a corner, adjusting the cufflinks on his ivory dress shirt and brushing lint off the lapels of his suit jacket. Deft fingers brushed through his short, salt-and-pepper hair as he marched towards the only other doorway in this hall. Few people came down here, mainly because no one but one other person had business down here; this was River’s lab.
River was his most trusted lieutenant. Her her abilities manifested, the young woman was driven by unseen urges to continuously upgrade herself in new and more frightening ways. It was probably why she sought the founders out when news was spreading that there were people out there going above and beyond for mutants. Jorge immediately saw he potential in River and, promising her safety and salvation from the outside world, she dedicated herself solely to the ideals of the Syndicate.
And now she was making even further leaps forward. Because of her, the Syndicate would to break the laws of physics and transcend the shackles of this plane.
The palm of his hand pressed to the reader on the side of her door. Instantly it dinged with a bright shade of green, sliding open to allow him access. Jorge stepped in and was immediately caught by the scent of melting metal -- River was working hard on her soldering.
Inside her lab, Jorge took a second to appreciate the surrounding. The lab was cavernous and filled with what one would expect to see in a science fiction wonderland. Machine beeped and whirled, lights flickered between shades of red, green, and blue. In a corner Jorge could see the workbench that was laden with wires, metal, and circuit boards. But it was the noise of a woman muttering to herself in a corner that drew his attention. As he stepped further in, against a back wall, he could see River, disheveled and maniac, pouring over a large, interactive glass screen. She tapped at it, pulling up menus, swiping, making notes, and shaking her head as she looked over a variety of equations. Jorge was a smart man but this, this was far beyond his understanding. So he stood, waited, then grew impatient enough to clear his throat for her to hear.
River jumped and snapped towards him, a crazed look of irritation at having been interrupted. But, upon seeing who it was, she breathed in relief and gave him a firm look of understanding, nodded her head, and turned back around to finish her formula. It was another few moments before she finally sighed in satisfaction and stepped back.
“Thousands of simulations. All successful.” She nodded, finally turning to face her employer. “Now’s the day. It’s the only day that we can pull it off. After this point the unstable energies surrounding the rift will become too chaotic to accurately control. It’s like I predicted a year ago, the rift is closing...and soon.”
Jorge nodded, slowly walking up and glancing over her screen. He couldn’t make much of it but he had learned over the years to trust River’s calculations. His arms crossed over his chest, he sighed as he looked over the rest of the information around the lab. What grabbed his attention the most were the Gravity Pikes that she had developed when she first discovered that the rift would be closing. The pikes were smaller, about a foot long, with a point at one end and the dual red and green lights on the other. The one he picked up was just a prototype, inactive. The rest, well, River had been busy this last year.
River had been
diligent. When tasked with figuring a way to ensure the Syndicate would continue, she
worked herself to exhaustion. Always she kept him
informed. Planting the spikes in the other universe, in the exact space he had bought out, River was excited to let him know she was
successful. Everything was in place and now it merely awaited his word.
”Has base been evacuated?” he asked.
River nodded. “I contacted Duke. He moved everyone out of the building in prep for this.” She sighed and turned to face him. “Sir, I don’t question you. But...are you sure you want to do this? What we’re doing...there’s going to be
effects. I don’t know what but we’re essentially breaking the laws of physics.”
Jorge scoffed.
”Oh my dear,” he sighed.
”Those were already broken. We’re just...taking advantage of the situation. Besides…” A look of pride and excitement swept over his face.
”That world needs us more than this one. SUPER’s roots are too deep here. But there, we can strike the weeds at their root and ensure that it never forms.”“So, we just abandon those mutants who needs us here?”
He turned to face her.
”The Syndicate will live on here. Not everyone will want to cross over. And I’m sure that those that stay will be able to continue on in our name.” For Jorge is was actually a hard decision to make. He didn’t want to leave his universe but the opportunity to advance the foothold of his species was far too great to pass up. In all honesty, despite grand speeches and promises to the populace...it was a losing war on this side. SUPER had too much control, too much power, and were rooted far too deeply. At least in the other universe, there was a chance. A
real chance, not just worthless hope. Of course, doing something like this was not just going to cause ripples throughout the known universe, but a sacrifice will be required.
Reaching up, he placed his hand on the back of River’s head, running his fingers down through her ebony hair. River tensed up, holding onto her resolve before she dipped her head down. Softly she nodded her head in understanding, but not before Jorge spoke.
”Are you sure today has to be the day?”A nod. “Yes. The conditions are optimal.”
”If there was another way, I’d suggest we do it.”“But there is no other way.” A beat. “It’s a honor...” she said firmly. “...to give my life for the cause.”
Jorge clenched his jaw but nodded. Wrapping his arm around River’s shoulders he leaned down, kissing the top of her head. The only words that escaped him were soft and tinged with remorse.
”My sweet girl…”It was a moment. A moment where River actually felt her human side lean encourage her to lean into the kiss. Both relief and regret began to sweep throughout her form at the same time. And for a second she toyed with the idea of saying no. But it was only a second. Logic and the passion for her cause filled her again and after a single tear rolled down her caramel cheek, she paused and leaned back once more. After a pause, she gave Poseidon a resolute nod.
“I’m ready.”
His head down, the watermancer nodded. He blinked away the remorse from his eyes, stepping away and pulling out his phone. He let River move herself to the back of her lab and he followed, but not until he checked with his second in command.
”Duke. Everyone clear?”“Everything under the Atlantis Club is empty.” A pause. “Boss, you sure you want to be in Ground Zero?”
Jorge turned. His eyes fell on River who had removed every scrap of clothing from herself. Her body was both young, supple, but a horror show of metal, wires, and gears. She began to climb into a pod of her design, pulling readily available cords from slots and plugging them into very specific ports in her arms, spine, and the back of her head. The crime boss sighed but nodded.
”Yeah. That’s the least I owe her.”“I understand. Tell River goodbye for me,” the older man said. “I’ll be across the rift in a few days with those who want to come. The rest I’ll get them started with running the Syndicate remnants. They want to change names. The Order.”
Jorge rolled his eyes.
”I’m certainly glad I won’t be around to see that fall.” A breath.
”See you on the other side.”Hanging up his phone, Jorge made his way over to River who was staring at a screen hovering in front of her eyes. Her fingers moved fast, typing in commands on special keys at her sides. When she had reached optimal levels, she stopped and began loading the program. Jorge took the opportunity to slip closer, noticing the slight tremble his River’s arms. Reaching down he placed his hand there, pulling up a seat. He would be with her to the end.
River, never one for silence, tried to explain. “The coding for what I need to do is too vast for any computer to process correctly. My mind, my body, it should be enough to decode, process, and ensure a successful outcome.”
He nodded.
Another pause. The program run was almost complete. She looked up at him again. The two locked eyes for a second as her lip trembled. “I’m glad I found you when I did. You gave me a purpose.”
He smiled. His eyes glistened.
”You made me proud.”River closed her eyes as the tremble on her lips grew worse. It seemed that whatever technological facade she had wrapped herself around earlier was quickly melting away. “Stay until it’s over?”
Poseidon, in a rare show of humanity, carried a mask of sadness as he nodded his head. He leaned in and gave her another small kiss on the forehead.
”I’m not going anywhere.”A soft sniffle as River sighed and laid back in her tube. The program was nearing completion. “I love you da--ARRGHHHHH!!!!”
Light raced through the pod. River’s body arched painfully as yotta bytes of information flooded through her body. Every fiber of her being raced to process the data. Truly it was both the most horrific and beautiful sight to ever behold -- the combination of woman with the highest levels of science to ever boggle the human mind. This was the apex of mutantkind, the moment where a mortal became a true and omnipotent goddess.
And Jorge could only close his eyes.
