A scar extended from the right lower edge of her chin all the way up to her left cheek, splitting her lips in the midpoint. Its bright purple color suggested it was obtained recently. She spoke in a low, hoarse voice, broken by the intensity of her breathing: “You will give me the information or I will cut off your head! And have no doubt…I will do it!”

“I know you will, I can sense your determination. But, I cannot give you what you want unless you give me what I want.”

His calmness enraged her even more. “Look!” she growled and raised the black patch over her right eye. “Look, you piece of shit! I gave them my eye to get to you and now you demand more?” Her chest moved up and down rapidly. She covered the mutilated eye socket with the patch again and pressed the point of her sword against his throat: “There are other Sources.”

“They will tell you exactly the same.”

Frustration, fury, desperation; there was no obvious right or wrong at that moment. She moved the sword away, grabbed at his neck with her left hand, and squeezed. He gave no resistance. She pressed with all her strength, feeling her fingers sinking into his skin. It was soft, too soft, molding around her fingertips like a good mattress around a sleeping body. He emitted an odd guttural sound. She didn’t care. It felt so good to finally do something just for her pleasure. But this bestial joy didn’t last for long. Her memory kicked back in and with it the awareness of what was at stake.

She released her grip and with clinical distance observed how his skin recovered from the marks of her fingers. Exhausted, she stumbled back against the wall and dropped the sword. She slid to the ground slowly, sweeping the moisture from the wall with her body. There was no strength left in her muscles and her head was devoid of thoughts. Sitting immovable, with her legs unfolded forward and arms suspended by the body she resembled a patched rag doll.

It had taken her a while to find the Sanctuary, and when she finally had, she had to dig through rocks and rubble to get in. A berserker drone must have dropped a bomb right on the top of the rock into which it was built, causing its front side to collapse and severely damaging its interior. If the Guardian Priests hadn’t given her a precise description of its location, she wouldn’t have even known that was a Sanctuary.

She cast a look at the decaying place. Broken, rotten pieces of furniture lay around and greyish, thick mold thrived all over. The wall was damp, with massive cracks, crumbling away everywhere. The Source sat on a bench, which was the only piece left of a larger sitting garniture, the kind her grandmother used to have in the dining room.

She’d had heard about the Sources before, but had never met one in person. This one looked like a male in his late thirties, with thick black hair, black eyes, and flawless skin. Its facial features were completely androgynous and with a female haircut he could just as well pass for a woman. He reminded her of humanoid robots that did receptionist and clerical work in various establishments. They could mimic a variety of human expressions, but due to their overly perfect features, they gave off a rather creepy vibe.

From the amount and distribution of dust on the Source’s black suit, his hair, and the furniture around him, she concluded he must have sat in the same spot for a while. She wasn’t sure if he was capable of moving at all. Two large chunks of rubble lay just in front of his legs and she wondered if he’d been sitting there when they’d detached from the ceiling.

“So how does this work?” This time her voice bore no emotions and her breathing was steady.

“It’s very simple. You tell me your story.”

“My story,” she repeated in a quiet voice.

“I evaluate it and decide what information I can give you in return.”

“So, there’s a chance I won’t get the information I need?”

“I can’t guarantee it.”

“Nothing is ever guaranteed,” she said, narrowing her only eye at him. Its dark blue iris had a cold glow. “Why are you doing this? What‘s the point?”

“To preserve the real history of humankind.”

She chuckled. “Didn’t the Event show us we are not worthy of one?”

“This is not our belief.”

“And you think that makes it any less true? Truth doesn’t care whether it’s in accordance with your sectarian beliefs or not.” Her face twisted in a disdainful grimace. “Why do you need my story anyway? It’s hardly worth going down in the annals of your or any other history.”

“We don’t believe in the kind of history preserved in the archives and historical books, written by historians of the winning, surviving side. For us, history is a living matrix, changing and remolding within each moment. More importantly, we believe each individual contributes to its numerous permutations, which eventually channel into changes of a profound impact and determine the course of events. Your decisions, acts, and emotions are tiny threads that weave the giant web of history. We collect these threads to preserve a more accurate account of human civilization and gain a better insight into its intricate formation.”

Dropping her gaze, she shook her head and let out a short muffled laugh. “You don’t get it. This means nothing to me. I don’t care about any of this. I just want the information.”

“Then give me your threads, and I‘ll decide what and how much you deserve to know.”

“How many people in need have you exploited like this?”

“We see it more as a fair trade. But you can call it any way you wish. It doesn’t really matter. You have no choice since I’m your last hope. Isn’t that so?”

Her teeth clenched in anger. “One day you will pay for this, you will all pay for this!”

After the wave of anger passed she added in a resigned voice: “Fine. Tell me, what I need to do.”

“You see that tube, coming from the wall on your left side? The yellow one, yes. Take it and place its end onto your temple.”

The tube was about two centimeters in diameter and, as she pulled it, more of it easily slid out of the wall. It was made of some kind of stretchy material, feeling very much like rough human skin. The part that came out from the inside of the wall was covered in transparent slime and it almost slipped through her fingers. Gross, she thought, when she neared its bell-shaped mouth to her temple.

“What exactly will happen to me, when I put this on me?”

“It’s a transference device. It transfers to me everything you say.”

“You mean like mind-reading?”

“Not exactly. It follows your brain activity and your body response to what you say, but you have to speak out to articulate your thoughts. The device cannot do that by itself. Think of it as an improved recording device.”

She hesitated, then reached with her other hand behind her back and pulled out a small knife. She held its blade close to her chest. Should things turn ugly, she’d push it straight into her heart.

“You will feel a small pain, but don’t worry, it will pass soon,” said the Source reassuringly.

“The pain is not what I’m worried about,” she replied and pressed the tube against her left temple.

She felt nothing at first, except for the slight pressure of something cold against her skin. A distinctive, sharp pain followed, like a sting of a needle, and the pressure on her temple intensified. Then a pain unlike any other she’d ever experienced spread from the temple to the inside of her head and ripped through her neural pathways. She dropped the knife and tried to unplug the tube but the thing was firmly glued to her skin and pulling on it hurt even more.

“Leave it, it’s just a connection process, it will be over soon.”

She could barely hear the Source’s words. Covering her head with both hands she screamed. She couldn’t see and she felt her consciousness slipping away. But just as she was about to fall into oblivion, it all stopped. Her vision returned and the pain was gone entirely. With a shaky hand, she reached for the sword, lifted its blade upwards, and searched for her reflection in it. The tube merged into her temple, looking like a strange tentacle growing from her head to the wall. She moved the blade closer and changed its angle to get a better view. Dark, curved lines ran from the place of connection and branched across half of her forehead, down her left cheek and over her left ear. A few small ones spread inside the white of her eye. She didn’t care so much about the grotesque tattoo on her face, what disturbed her, was an odd feeling of another presence inside her head.

“The connection is done. You can start talking now.”

She placed the sword down and eyed the Source with suspicion. “I see no tubes attached to you.”

“Don’t worry about that,” he replied with a smile that seemed out of place. “One more piece of advice. Do not lie. I’ll know if you are telling the truth or not. Trying to cheat would be a waste of time for both of us.”

She nodded reluctantly. “Where do I start?”

“You can start from the point you think is relevant to the information you want.”

She pulled herself against the wall and sat upright with her legs crossed. Her raven hair was sticky, rough, as if unattended for a long time. It fell unevenly over her head, its longest strands reaching her shoulders. She tucked it behind her ears, revealing fully her damaged face.

“I suppose it all started the day Margot woke me up with the news about a new order. It must’ve been a year, year and a half ago…I’m not sure. I’ve lost track of time over the past months. Margot was the youngest member of our little company. Twenty years old, a whole ten years younger than me and H, yet without a doubt the most responsible of the three of us, especially when it came to company matters. She took care of the orders, dealt with customers and payments, managed the house. She also possessed a cunning intelligence for numbers. Thanks to her, the Tax Inspectors never suspected foul play. She used to…“ Her voice wavered and she had to take a deep breath before continuing. “Margot always found an excuse to wake me up from my daily nap. It was her way to reprimand me for my laziness and lack of ambition, as she called it. Me, I thought I just had a healthy, laid-back attitude in business matters.”

~~~

“Stemetski! Stemeeeeetski!”

Ana ignored the distant call for her name and reached for the knife, her hand shaking with excitement. Without hesitation, she plunged it into a tender steak and cut a piece. Finally! Her mouth was already open, waiting eagerly to meet the fork that carried the precious delicacy.

“STEMETSKI! Do not pretend you don't hear me!”

The voice, distant before, suddenly burst into her mind at full force as if its owner had sneaked up behind her unnoticed and yelled in her ear. Her whole body shivered, but the worst was yet to happen. The far left corner of the table she was sitting at began to break up into small puzzle pieces, which detached one by one and disappeared into the darkness. At first, she thought how beautiful this strange occurrence was but then she realized its meaning. No, no, nooo! The voice, whose sound still unpleasantly reverberated in her ears, had a devastating effect. Everything before her was disintegrating. Not only the table but also the plate with the steak. She quickly leaned forward to meet the fork halfway but it was too late. Her hand and the fork already vanished and the same was happening with her body. In the end, she was reduced to a pair of big eyes staring into the darkness, squeezing and blinking in a desperate attempt to bring the image back. All her efforts were in vain, she was already awake.

Margot’s perky hazel eyes stared at her from above, her foxy-red ponytail, draped over her shoulder, was almost touching her nose.

“Dammit, Margot! Leave me alone!” she growled, pushed the brim of her cap further down on her eyes, and turned away from the voice that so recklessly wiped out her dream.

“You have to get up, Stemetski! We’ve got a new order.”

“H can handle it!”

“I’m pretty sure you’ll want to handle this one personally.”

Ana wanted to ignore Margot but an unusual vibrancy in her friend’s voice made her suspicious.

“Fine,” she said, remaining in her comfortable position. “But for your own good, Margot, I really hope whatever you have to say is important enough to justify the loss of one of the most delicious steaks my imagination conjured up over the past few months!”

“Ah, Stemetski, how boring…”

A vivid image of Margot’s condescending smirk flashed before Ana’s closed eyes. That presumptuous little imp! She turned around again, causing the hammock suspended between two large concrete pillars in the middle of a spacious room to rock wildly back and forth. ”Boring? What would you know, you’ve never tasted proper food in your life. But, never mind. Just spit it out already! What’s so bloody urgent?”

“So, we got an order,” said Margot, forcing a casual tone; “…from the Forest of Green Rivers.”

Ana jerked her head up and scrunched her eyebrows together. A self-satisfied smirk on Margot’s lips promised there was more to come.

“…and, as far as I’m informed, the order is commissioned by Tengu himself.”

Upon hearing this, Ana leaped from the hammock and grabbed Margot by the shoulders. “Are you sure? Are you sure it’s the real deal and not just somebody playing a trick on you, Margot? Are you hundred percent sure?”

Margot brushed her hands away and took a step back, more offended by Ana’s words than startled by her sudden jump. She was taller than Ana and had an elegant figure with long, thin legs and a slender neck. A thick, straight fringe emphasized her cheekbones and as she tilted her head slightly backwards, rising up her small turned-up nose, she projected a smug, almost arrogant look. “No, nobody played a trick on me. You know I’m too intelligent for that. Besides, I’ve got very precise instructions. I’ve double-checked them and it all fits with their MO.”

Ana covered her mouth with her hand and tried to reason, but her thoughts were all over the place. “Have you already briefed H on this?” she finally uttered.

“Of course I have. I always give H all the important details. It would be of no use giving them to you, would it? I mean, with your limited attention span you don’t register anything beyond the length of two sentences. I don’t know what I’d do without H. If I had to rely only on you, this business would be in some deep trouble by now…”

Margot spoke fast and all in the same tone, like dictating a report. Ana was only half-listening. Tengu…..Tengu, the elusive, enigmatic rebel….Tengu the biggest enemy of the Emperor…Tengu wanted to do business with them. His name bounced around her head like a small ping-pong ball in a confined space. She had wished for this opportunity for a long time and now that it finally happened, she couldn’t quite wrap her mind around it.

Margot’s voice cut into her thoughts once more.

“Stemetski! You spaced out again, and there is some saliva running down your chin. Eeew, disgusting!”

Ana wiped her mouth, passing her hand over her lips very slowly, her dazed stare reflecting the confusion in her mind. “Umm…So, when are we supposed to leave?”

“Immediately. H’s already loading the car.”

“Shit, I have to get ready!”

“You should prepare for a longer hike in the woods - their instructions,” added Margot.

“Really? That’s highly unusual. You think they’ll take us to their den?” Ana mused aloud until her eyes met Margot’s distressing stare. “Don’t worry, Margot. Everything will be fine.”

“Who said I’m worried?” said Margot defensively. ”Just don’t get it, though…all this fuss over Tengu.”

“You’re kidding, right? We’re talking about the man, who attacked the Emperor practically in the backyard of his own palace.”

Margot responded to her enthusiasm with a skeptical look.

“Come on, Margot, he even outsmarted the Imperial guards, that infallible special unit, the pride and joy of our Emperor,” continued Ana and giggled maliciously. “The Emperor must really hate him. This gives me some pleasure, I admit.”

“I still don’t find him all that impressive,” said Margot, rubbing her chin in disdainful manner.

“I suppose nothing less than an alien invasion would impress you.”

Margot shrugged and walked to the other side of the room. She took a bottle from the window shelf and watered a small pot with greenery, which stood lonely on the desk.

“Dammit!” A loud noise was heard together with a curse as several things fell from the closet. Ana squatted down and began to search through the pile on the floor, stuffing a few of the items in a backpack. When she finished, she opened all the desk drawers, checked the clothes thrown over the mattress, and moved around frantically papers and tools scattered on the desk.

“Where is my damn knife?” she snarled and kicked away tiny screws, which had been rolling around on the floor and irritating her soles since she’d woken up.

Margot approached her. “With the mess you have here, I’d marvel you found anything at all.”

“If it bothers you that much, then keep in H’s part of the room. It’s as ordered and neat as it gets. Or maybe it’s just lacking things? Hard to tell, isn’t it?” The conceited tone that Margot used angered her. “And what’s with that silly plant you brought to him? I bet he didn’t even notice it.” That was one way to get back at Margot who liked to consider herself a practical rather than an emotional person, even if that was not true at all, and looked down on any display of sentimentality.

Margot’s face tensed up and she averted her eyes. “It’s just some random weeds I picked up in the backyard.”

Ana gave a cursory glance at her part of the room. She had to admit, the place was a mess, but this was far down on her list of concerns right now. The old, wooden piano, covered with books, caught her eye.

“There you are!” She was looking with satisfaction at the small, folding knife she pulled out from behind one of the books on the piano.

“Oh, my God! I can’t believe this! Stemetski, you idiot!” cried out Margot.

Ana turned abruptly. “What?”

Margot, holding a large pile of papers in her hands, glared at a metallic replica of a skeleton arm on the desk. “How can you be so careless? How long has this raw part been lying around?” she asked, smashing the pile of papers back on the desk.

“Well,” said Ana and scratched her head, all the while skillfully avoiding Margot’s angry eyes; “I was preparing it for the old man, you know Keppler…”

“Keppler! You must be kidding me! That was at least three weeks ago!” Margot took the skeleton and waved it in front of Ana’s face. “You do realize, this is an illegal piece and if the Imperial authorities found out about it, we all get a shot in the head?”

“Hey! Be careful with it, I spent a week working on it.” Ana snatched the skeleton from Margot’s hand and ran her fingers gently over it. “You can see how perfectly aligned these bones are and how smoothly they move at the joints. The metal is of very fine quality, still breakable at the moment but once fortified this hand will be as sensitive and accurate as the real one and about five times as strong. Keppler was a fool to change his mind. This part would last him for ten years, that I guarantee. Instead, he went for a lower price and bought that rubbish piece from Superior. Bah…Superior Body Parts!” A jeering smile appeared on Ana’s face. “They should be called Bullshit Body Parts.”

Margot rolled her eyes and banged her fist against the table. “Stemetski!”

“What? I hid it under the papers. You haven’t noticed it till now, have you? Why do you think somebody else would -”

“Hid it? Forgot it, you mean. I’m pretty sure once Keppler changed his mind, you were too lazy to take it down to the basement and then you forgot all about it! And yes, luckily I saw it now before some nosy customer would, or the Tax Inspector at one of his visits!”

“My customers would never report me…”

Margot waved her hand dismissively. “No use talking sense into you, Stemetski!”

Ana shrugged and gently placed the skeleton on the desk. “Come on, Margot, you won’t get all mad at me now, will you? I promise I’ll take the piece down as soon as I finish here.” She gathered all the charm she possessed in her deep blue eyes and turned them pleadingly to Margot.

Margot let out a deep sigh. “I’ll just do it myself. With all that rebel business on your mind, you’d forget it as we speak.” She took the skeleton in her hands again and walked towards the door, her ponytail swaying from side to side in rhythm with her hips. “By the way, Keppler did come around, and he wants to reconsider your offer. He says the new hand is useless and hurts like hell.”

“Poor old sod,” said Ana sympathetically. “Superior tends to target people like that. What did you say to him?”

“That our offer still stands…and that we can give him fifty percent of discount-“

“What?! Why the hell did you do that?”

“…in exchange for a couple of closets and a bed. We need a place to store our stock and your tools, and I’m tired of sleeping on the mattress.”

“But! Fifty percent?!”

“Come on, you know he can’t afford to pay us a full price after spending half of his money on that bad piece. The furniture I requested is of the same value. Call it a favor between artisans. We all gain from it.”

She wanted to protest but Margot threw at her one of her typical smug stares and said: “I know… What would you do without me, right?” Then she waved bye with the skeleton arm and left the room, leaving Ana alone with her many thoughts.