Low Budget Productions Proudly Presents,
A Starfall Comics Comic:
Swamp Patrol
#17: Transfigurations Book Four: Revelations
cover: A reproduction of a leather-bound book cover. In gold lettering across the middle of the cover is the title TRANSFIGURATIONS BOOK FIVE: REVELATIONS.
"Thank you, Brother Roderick," Carter said. "Redemption will be pleased."
A cold hand fell on his shoulder.
Pleased with what?
Carter turned slowly. Not now. He wasn't ready for him yet. But he couldn't outright lie to Redemption with Brother Roderick right there. He searched frantically for a way out.
"I was checking on the demon," he said. "As you know, Redemption, I had some dealings with him before you saved me. I thought perhaps I could help him see the true path."
This demon is without hope.
"I simply thought --"
Do not trouble yourself with him. He is a sworn enemy of God, so befouled that his soul cannot be saved. But I admire your zeal, Brother Carter.
"Thank you, Redemption."
No. Thank you.
Frank's head was swimming like a dolphin when he came to. He wanted to curse but his mouth was too full of cotton to get any words out.
"Wake up."
Frank grunted and his eyelids pried themselves open.
"We have to do something."
He looked to his right, where Donna was held to the wall by the manacles his brother had put on her. The same manacles, Frank knew without looking, that held him to the wall as well. "Why..." he managed.
"I can't change shapes, if that's what you're suggesting. It's these damn chains." She pulled against them once, futilely. "But we have to do something."
Frank closed his eyes again. "I can't see very much to do."
"You're not just giving up."
He tried to spit the taste of unconsciousness out of his mouth but had no saliva. "No," he said. "I'm just waiting."
"I'm back."
"Where?"
"Hang on."
Carter felt for the trigger button on the device he held in his hand. If he had figured everything out properly... He and Michael Srinivathan found themselves in a stretch of deserted hallway.
"It worked!" he shouted, then clamped a hand over his own mouth, remembering where he was. "Come on." He grabbed Michael by the shoulder and dragged him to his feet. Obviously the other man was still disoriented from his captivity. "Put these on." He handed Michael the same style of clothes that he himself wore, along with every other denizen of Heaven, Redemption's compound.
"I... I can feel again."
"That's because you're back in normal space. Now let's go."
The two of them hurried down the hallway to an adjacent one. This one was in semi-frequent use, but Carter knew that Michael's presence, let alone his appearance, was known only to a select few Disciples. As long as they both acted like the belonged, they shouldn't arouse suspicion.
"Where are we going?" Michael asked, his voice low.
"Look, you've never seen me before, but I hired you a few weeks ago to kill some people."
Michael swallowed. "I've been thinking long and hard about that while I was in that pocket universe, and I've decided I can't--"
"We have to rescue two of them."
Michael stopped Carter with a hand on his arm. "What do you mean, we have to rescue two of them?"
"Look, it's a long story. I've had a change of heart, we have to save them and get them to help us stop Redemption." He looked around. Nobody seemed to be paying them much attention... yet. "Can we get going please? I don't want people thinking something funny's going on."
Although the number of doors on either side and relative lengths changed from time to time, every hallway they went through seemed to be more or less the same. Carter could only be sure he was finding his way because of the floor plan he had committed to memory before Redemption had returned him to his human form. It was a little hazy around the edges, but better than nothing. Certainly better than having to ask for directions to where the sinners were being kept.
When they found the right door it was really quite obvious -- it was the only one they had seen with a guard posted. In fact, two guards, twins that Carter recognized by sight but not by name. He paused at the end of the hallway and signalled for Michael to join him.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
"Hungry. Tired. My eyes hurt a little from the light." Michael smiled. "In short, better than I have in days."
"Feel like putting yourself to a bit of a test?"
Michael's eyes narrowed. "What kind of test?"
Carter indicated the guards. "You see those twins over there. We need to get past them if we're going to be able to rescue the others. And that's where you come in."
"I won't kill them."
"I didn't ask you to."
Michael took a deep breath. "I'll see what I can do."
Carter watched as Michael closed his eyes. His hands seemed to be groping for something, then closed and jerked sideways. The twins collapsed into a heap on the floor.
"What did you do?" Carter said as they ran over to the door.
"Tripped them. Mentally..." he trailed off. "It's hard to explain."
Nodding absently, Carter opened the door and came face to face with Redemption.
Brother Carter. I knew you would come.
Michael's eyes darted between the two men. Judging by the look on Carter's face, this was not someone they wanted to have met.
"Redemption," Carter said. "So you know."
Yes.
"Then there's nothing else to do."
Before Carter could follow up on his sentence, he was knocked across the room as casually as a small puppy. Michael could feel Redemption turn his attention to him.
You should prove interesting.
Michael took a step back, found his back against the solid wall of the cell. He reached for the fabric of Redemption's power, but it was slippery and he couldn't get a hold of it.
"Who are you?" he asked, stalling for time.
I am Redemption. But for you, I am the end.
He felt it like a fist in the gut, dropping him to one knee. "Redemption, eh?" he said, breathing in spasms. "Never heard of you."
The world of the cell swam in front of his face. But this was nothing; he had taken worse punishment from that guy in the swamp and lived to tell about it, so why should things be so out of focus already?
You are a problem which obviously can no longer be permitted to trouble me.
Redemption took a step forward, and Michael felt the ripples in reality as he did. There was something odd about them, but with the distraction of his body seemingly turning into silly putty, he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Just as he could feel the death blow coming, the door opened.
"Redemption!" Brother Theodore shouted. "I thought I heard trouble!"
When Redemption's focus turned to the doorway, Michael felt anunmistakeable feeling: the feeling of an unchanged reality. Not waiting to see what was going on, he wound as much of the available fabric as he could into one ball and threw it at the ground directly beneath Redemption's feet. The detonation scattered debris across the room, and left Redemption sprawled on the floor.
What?!
Michael pulled himself to his feet. "I've got you now," he said, smiling. The shackles fell from around the two prisoner's hands and feet, and Redemption scrambled into the corner. "I've figured you out, and you're not so tough." Before he could take another step, a bolt of white light sent searing pain through his left shoulder.
"Demon!" Brother Theodore shouted, hands and eyes glowing with energy. "Your powers are worthless in the sight of God." The energy around his hands coalesced, but his second beam missed its target as the male prisoner tackled him to the ground.
"Ted!" the man grunted. "Ted, it's me, Frank. Whatever spell he's got you under, you've got to snap out of it."
"Get off of me." Brother Theodore struggled, but he couldn't get free, and with his arms restrained he couldn't target an energy blast at his captor.
I will return for you, Brother Theodore.
Redemption stepped through the wall and disappeared from sight. Taking just a second to look back at the partially-destroyed room, Michael followed.
Frank held onto Ted with all the strength he had left in his body. He couldn't let him get free, not in the state of mind he was in. Glancing around, he saw that the man Redemption had called Brother Carter was still slumped against the wall. Donna was still shaking off the effects of their capture -- going from Paragene Active to normal and back again couldn't be an easy thing to deal with.
"Let go of me, demon aide!" Ted hissed.
Demon aide? Is that like lemonade? Frank couldn't quite suppress a chuckle. "No. You're in trouble, and if I let you go then I'll be the one in trouble!"
Suddenly an extra pair of hands appeared, slapping the shackles that had just recently held Donna onto Ted.
"Brill?" Frank said. "What are you doing here?"
He smiled. "You're not the only technical genius around, Frank. I decyphered the code in that e-mail you got, and it led us right to you guys."
"Where's everybody else?"
Brill grimaced. "Outside. They ran into more of these nutbars, the Disciples, and they're having a bit of a fire fight."
Ted kicked and pulled against the restraints, but it was no use. From the look in his eyes, he knew enough about them to realize he wouldn't be able to blast his way free.
"Well then we'd better go back them up," Frank said. "Donna, I want you to stay here and keep an eye on Ted."
Donna was rubbing her temples, with her eyes closed. "But you guys need me," she insisted.
"You need to recuperate, and somebody has to watch him, just in case. Remember what Redemption said about coming back for him."
"Alright."
Frank and Brill took off, leaving Donna alone with the fanatic who had until recently been her best friend.
"Demon." Ted spat at her feet. "In the face of Redemption your hellspawned powers shall be meaningless."
"Uh-huh."
Redemption had led him on quite a chase through the swamp, but one thing had been getting clearer to Michael Srinivathan as it went on: when he finally caught him, the guy wouldn't stand a chance.
Renounce your powers, and your soul shall be spared.
Redemption's voice was straining at the edges, cracking in an almost-human way that brought a smile to Michael's heart. He could hear the anxiety, he could hear the fear -- and he could hear the weakening power. It brought out a side of him that he hadn't quite acknowledged before.
"Come on, Red," he shouted. "Come out and play."
Fool. Your Redemption is at hand.
"No. Your comeuppance is at hand, Red."
He found him in a copse of slightly-tighter-packed trees.
"Come on, Red. Let's make this easy on both of us." The colours of the swamp began to bleed into each other, but with a simple tightening of the fabric of reality Michael put a stop to that. "I'm onto you." He smiled.
The only thing you are on is your grave.
A bolt of energy remarkably like Brother Theodore's flew from Redemption's hand, but Michael simply closed his eyes and smiled as it dissipated harmlessly before it ever reached him.
"Your tricks won't work any more." Still smiling, Michael Srinivathan reached out toward the frayed edge around Redemption and pulled. It was a simple action, no more complicated than picking at a loose thread on a sweater, but it unravelled everything Redemption had built up around him.
What...what...
..."what?"
Redemption collapsed to his knees, his majesty and grandeur gone, like puddles of rain in the desert sun. "what have you done?"
"I think you know exactly what I've done, Redemption. Your illusions are all gone. Your toys are broken. And it's time to come with me." He walked over to the small man who had just recently seemed an angel, picked him up from the swamp floor, and tossed him casually over his shoulder, soaking up the remaining energy that hovered around him to boost his strength.
Outside Heaven was as close to sheer chaos as Frank had ever seen.
Brill hadn't been lying when he said their friends were involved in "a bit of a fire fight." Everyone who could attack at a distance was doing so; everyone who couldn't had improvised.
"Any ideas?" Brill said.
"Hey, I'm not the only techincal genius around. Why don't you think of something?"
They ducked around a corner to survey the situation. The battle seemed pitched, but no one seemed to have a clear edge. They were all, by and large, civilians.
"I don't want to really hurt anyone," Brill said, fiddling with what looked like a miniaturized crossbow. "Deep down, they're just normal folks."
A good chunk of plaster exploded from the wall around the corner.
"Normal folks who can do things like that," Frank pointed out.
Brill tossed him the miniaturized crossbow and pulled another from his jacket pocket. "Cover me," he said. "Try to aim for places like the feet and hands if you can." With that he darted out from behind the wall, running across the open field at the edge of the swamp.
"What do you mean, 'aim'?" Frank cried after him.
The land just to the right of Brill exploded much like the wall had, and for a second Frank felt like he had been transported to a classic World War II movie, with artillery bombarding his troops' position as they tried to capture a hill in slow motion. Then a finger tapped him on the shoulder, and a fist knocked him to the ground.
Looking up, he could only assume that the man in the robe was going to kill him. Things had gone too far for them to be satisfied with capture any more. He tried to blink sweat from his eyes and realized he was crying. To die was bad enough, but at the hands of someone he had never even seen until that moment...
His assailant fell to one knee, then both, groaning. Frank didn't waste any time -- he was up and on his feet in an instant. Rounding the corner, he saw that all of the Disciples seemed to be suffering the same difficulties.
"What's going on?" he shouted to Brill.
"Damned if I know." Brill was scanning the area warily, his weapon still at the ready. "They all just fell down."
Frank wiped his eyes and cheeks with the back of his hand. "Well, let's round them up and get them into some of those shackles before they can recover." He turned to face the compound, only to find it gone.
Michael dumped the man casually on the ground in front of the others.
"So this whole Heaven thing was just a cabin?" Brill was asking.
"And some very well-done illusions," Michael added. "That was Redemption here's stock in trade. And what he couldn't pull of with his illusions, he used stolen technology for." He nudged the limp body with his foot.
"How do you know?" Frank asked.
"When he used his powers in front of me, I couldn't get a good feel for them, so I knew something was up. And once I knew what to look for, it was easy to find."
"And you're sure he'll be okay?"
"Who, Red? Yeah, sure. He just won't be 'doing God's will' for a while. I took care of that."
Frank exhaled. "That's a relief."
Janice turned to face him. "A relief?! This guy tried to have us all killed, he brainwashed Ted... and you're relieved he'll be okay?!"
Donna put a hand on Janice's shoulder to calm her down. "I think with everything that's gone on in the last little while, none of us would really take well to having that sort of guilty conscience..." She stopped and looked around. "Where's that guy who came in with you?" she said to Michael.
"Back where he came from."
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |BackwherehebelongsBackwherehecamefromBackwhereitcamefromBackwhereyoubelong| |BackwhereyoubelongBackwhereitcamefromBackwherehecamefromBackwherehebelongs| +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Carter Stevens floats in a nutrient bath, the memory of his good deed | |fading as his memory is put to other uses. It was nice to be human again, | |even if it was an illusion. Nice to be backwherehecamefrom. | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |BackwhereyoubelongBackwhereitcamefromBackwherehecamefromBackwherehebelongs| |BackwherehebelongsBackwherehecamefromBackwhereitcamefromBackwhereyoubelong| +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Frank stuck his head into his room. The lights were off, but by the light of the hallway he could still make out the shape on his bed. His brother had been asleep for almost a day now, but from what Michael had told them before he disappeared that was perfectly alright. He'd also told them that Ted would be more or less okay when he awoke, free of Redemption's influence. Frank smiled -- it would be nice to have Ted back to normal. Well, as normal as he ever was.
He left the room, closing the door behind him. On the bed, a small piece of a young man's subconscious reached for a shaft of white light -- and found no light at all.
He ends with a story.
"It was many years ago, before thee Insurrection. There were people of great power, and people of great courage and dedication. Sometimes these people worked against each other. But sometimes they came together, to protect thee weak and thee powerless, those who were good but could do nothing.
"And sometimes they came apart, fought amongst themselves or within themselves, against thee anger and confusion that such great power could bring. In their attempt to understand themselves, they would often do themselves harm. And in their attempt to protect themselves, they would often give up more, much more, than they had realized."