Bernadette and a team of twenty others in the Division of Cosmic Artifice’s Channel Observation and Moderation Department had been deployed to one of the channels of the clockwork world. There was a veritable army of more than ten thousand of the pretty, blue-haired, androids, accompanying them.

Everyone was wearing a fish-globe helmet that was enchanted to supply oxygen and light because the channel was still heavily damaged from whatever the Divisions’ second-head, Director Kaylan, had done to the channel. In his own words, he’d purposely left the channel damaged, and sealed off, just in case there was someone, or something, lurking around, waiting for things to turn a lot of more habitable, and open, so they could make their escape.

While she would never say so where anyone could hear, Bernadette thought the thinking a little paranoid. Or at least, she did, up until, she spotted something, used an earth-shifting spell, and dug up what seemed to be a naked, man, trapped inside some kind of life-support capsule. The capsule itself looked like a giant egg made of gelatin, and there was something eerie about that made it feel like she wasn’t really seeing it.

Her eyes kept wanting to slide away from the egg, and her mind kept wanting to forget it was there. Bernadette had a feeling that if it wasn’t for the special “moderator” rights that made her largely immune to certain magics, she wouldn’t have been able to even perceive the egg’s presence.

“Um, sir, I think I found something,” said Bernadette. Calling out to the boss, because he was there to. Standing in the middle of the sky, balefully gazing at the destruction he’d caused with his glowing green eyes.

Suddenly he was right behind her. He didn’t descend from the sky like some angel or Saint. He simply vanished from his earlier position and appeared at Bernadette’s back. As he did so, he wore his trademark smile. His eyes were filled with menace, and eagerness, as he approached the egg.

“Good work, Ms. Wallace,” said Director Montgomery. Nodding in her direction and patting her on the shoulder as he passed.

“Th-, thank you, sir,” said Bernadette. Pleased to be acknowledged. Blushing faintly because even when he was all business the guy put out a vibe that made it hard to ignore his presence, making her feel like she was in eighth grade all over again, talking to Aaron Lindvale, her crush. She didn’t like him in that way, nor would she be insane enough to kick the hornet’s nest after making peace with her cousin and landing a job people would literally kill for, but lust demon mojo, was lust demon mojo, and Monty Kaylan’s mojo was especially potent.

“I knew there was something a little pat and dry about the way you ‘died’...Oh, well, now that I’ve found you, you can rest assured that I’ll handle things properly this time,” said Director Montgomery. His tone was light and conversation, despite the dreadful implications.

The boss smiled at the egg like he was greeting a lover, then he made the egg disappear. The egg flashed thrice as it vanished, leaving behind only a single agonized scream, and a faint smell of ozone. The first scream became a collection of screams that were echoed from all over the channel, but eventually, they too fell silent.

The screams affirmed for Bernadette, that whatever her physical and aesthetic attraction to the man, it was only physical attraction and was nothing that she’d ever, in a million years, consider pursuing. Monty Kaylan was like a sexy meat-grinder, or sexy high voltage electrical transformer, or a sexy neutron star. Nice to look at, but liable to result in her death, if she tried to kiss it, or put it inside her.

Once that egg had been found and dealt with, he called for a retreat, having everyone pull out of the channel, because apparently, they’d achieved whatever objective they’d needed to achieve.

*************************************************************************************************************

Later that day, Bernadette was sitting in the huge office area that they all shared. The expansive use of spatial manipulation meant that the office space within the division’s headquarters was always pretty comfortable.

One could even “close” one’s cubicle, making it take a form similar to an office anywhere else, in both scale, size, and layout. Turning the walls of the cubicle opaque was also an option. It was something Bernadette occasionally did when she wanted to concentrate, or when the building temperature was too cold, and she wanted to have a space with a temperature that was more suitable for her.

Her cubicle was in its open, which meant that its semi-transparent walls were down and she could hear some of the guys talking about their plans for the weekend.

Bernadette couldn’t help being just a tad jealous as she heard her co-workers talk. She didn’t really have many plans these days. She wasn’t sure if it was her becoming mature or her social life going through a dead period but generally when she was done with work she’d go home to watch reality tv while petting her puppy.

Someone knocked her cubicle wall to get her attention. Bernadette looked up from her computer and saw that one girl, Samantha, standing behind her. Samantha was of average height, fit, tan, and blond. She was pretty in that way that tipped one-off that she was maybe something other than human. She’d been nice enough during Bernadette’s interactions with the woman, but there was just something off about her.

Also, the woman was either one of the bosses’ favorites or unfavorites, because Bernadette could see clear signs that Samantha was being watched. The pretty, blue-haired, machine-women gathering around the woman like carrier birds circling prey. Watching Samantha, just like Bernadette had been watched when she was starting out.

This made Bernadette nervous about getting too close because she’d just barely gotten off of her cousin’s shit list and didn’t want to be pulled back due to poor choice in friends.

Unfortunately, Bernadette felt awkward about trying to make a clear line in the sand with the woman because a) she still wasn’t sure if the bosses how the bosses felt about the girl, and b) after her experience with Margot, she’d endeavored to try and learn from her youth and try to avoid being wretched to people for no reason.

There was also the fact that Samantha seemed vaguely desperate to make friends with her for some reason. Which was yet another thing that freaked Bernadette out, but made it hard for Bernadette to give the woman the cold shoulder.

“H-, Hey, Bernadette,” said Samantha.

“Hi, Sam. Can I help you with anything? said Bernadette. Not sure what else to say, since she’d already made up her mind to be polite and friendly, even if she didn’t want to get too close with the other woman.

“Uh, n-, no. I’m fine for now, thanks. I was uh, just wondering if you had any plans for the weekend,” said Samantha.

“Um, no. Not really. My weekend is looking pretty clear right now,” said Bernadette. Still typing up a report that she should have written earlier but couldn’t because she was forced to go on that special assignment with Director Montgomery and the rest.

“Oh,...cool. In that case, if you’re free, I’ve got tickets to this auction. The stuff they’re auctioning off is mostly martial artist and cultivator stuff, but I’ve heard they sell mage things too. The food’s pretty good and they usually have some kind of pre-auction show so...uh, I was wondering if you would go...with me,” said Samantha.

Bernadette stopped typing but didn’t turn around. Her face was blank as her mind ran through the options. The first question on her mind being, whether she was being asked out as a friend, or being asked out as something more, or for some nefarious purpose.

“Er...Ma-, maybe, what day is it?” said Bernadette. Feeling awkward about just saying no because she’d just made a big deal about how she had nothing else going on.

“This Sunday,” said Samantha.

“Er...My dog is sick. Can I call you Saturday and see how things are going then?” said Bernadette. Buying time with a plain-faced lie. Finally turning around to face the other woman because now she kind of really needed to look at her facial expression and read her body language.

“O-, of, course. No pressure,” said Samantha. Nodding and laughing nervously. Which made Bernadette laugh nervously as well.

“Uh, thanks,” said Bernadette.

“Don’t mention it...Well, um, by...See you later,” said Samantha. Running a hand over her head as if scratching an itch, or shooing away a fly.

The odd blond woman wandered off. Bernadette watched her go, wondering exactly what that invite was supposed to be. Then after a minute went by Bernadette returned to her computer because she still had a report to write.

*************************************************************************************************************

Later, as she was driving home, or rather being driven home, by her newly purchased AI-operated Cat-Sith Brand luxury automobile, Bernadette got a call. She pressed the touch screen on the car and had it interface with her phone to answer the call.

“Hello? Bernie Wallace speaking,” said Bernadette.

“Hey, Sis.... ” said the voice of her twin sister Beatrice.

“How are things going? Is mom still running you ragged?” said Bernadette. Teasing her sister to show that there were no hard feelings over the fact that their mother had chosen Beatrice over her as the future head of their clan.

“Ugh...Yes. Add in the fact, that we barely avoided having to file for bankruptcy, along with the damn company, last spring, and that we’re still in the middle of thinking of new ways for the family to make ends meet, and yes, mom has officially crawled up my ass to the point that she’s starting to get mail sent there,” grumbled Beatrice.

Bernadette laughed. There was a reason that any envy she felt over Beatrice’s new position in the clan was quickly forgotten. Only the overambitious, and the foolish, would lust for the crown and the throne, when the entire kingdom was on fire.

“Honestly, I don’t even want to talk about her right. Can you pick me up?” said Beatrice.

Bernadette laughed.

“Sorry, sis. Spatial magic and flight magic were never my things and your ass is all the way over in Massachusetts, so I’m afraid you’re gonna have to either call Jasper or use a ride-share,” said Bernadette.

“Uh, actually, I’m in Arcadia right now. I’m sitting at the bus stop in front of the train station,”

“Huh!...Re-, Really?! Uh, in that case, I guess I can help you after all,” said Bernadette. Trying and failing to hide how taken aback she was. Already typing a new destination into the vehicle’s GPS.

“Thanks...Sorry about showing up on short notice,” said Beatrice. Making Bernadette concerned because it sounded like she’d been crying.

“No, it’s okay. I’ll be there soon, sweetie. You just sit tight,” said Bernadette. Finding herself feeling mysteriously nervous. Her concern about whatever made her sister show up in Arcadia was combined with, a more nebulous anxiety that she couldn’t quite explain.