(Disclaimers in the prologue)
The Transients did not name themselves. Such identifiers were unnecessary. But two of the three figures remaining in the abandoned Cumbrian mental hospice had been recruited, rather than born, to the power. These two no longer had any right to the names they retained, but they had kept them anyway.
Topaz had been an empath. She had grown bored with the repetitive assignments she had received and, in her apathy, had become something of a problem to the network. After three Operators in a row had requested she be replaced as their partner, she'd been side-lined; taken off active duty and used only as a useful pet-empath at the Hub, when routine comms work was required.
It had been terribly unfair. And, she'd told herself, it was all because her colleagues were intimidated by her ability. Thus it was that Topaz had accepted the invitation to join the Transients in order to use her skills more fully. This had been more important to her than her allegiance.
It was still more important.
She had been the first agent to defect from the organisation. The first ever, about a century ago. She considered herself something of a ground-breaker, perhaps a trend-setter, though the trend had not exactly caught on.
Topaz's self-importance was visible in the appearance she wore. Since inheriting the Transients' power, she was able to change her form at will, and the one she had settled on exuded conceit. She appeared human, of course; they all did, whilst working from Earth, and she was comfortable in the human shape. Her tall figure was topped with blue-black hair, and her face was striking. Too striking to be attractive, but utterly distinct and unforgettable.
Her fellow recruit had formerly been a specialist; he was elemental, as were all specialists, and was known as Nitro. His skills were in his hands; he could separate and contract the atoms to simulate solid, liquid or gas, thus provoking intense temperature changes at his fingertips. Shortly after Topaz's defection he, too, had switched sides, throwing off his duties and embracing anarchy. Like Topaz, he had grown tired of constantly providing the same limited skills and had wanted to embrace more power.
In appearance he was pale, with close cropped silver hair and thin lips. He wore a tall form, taller than his original shape had been, but this was the only change he had made.
He and Steel had worked together, before Nitro's defection. In situations where Steel could not artificially reduce his body temperature, Nitro had been called in to provide the initial freeze. His knowledge of the Operator had proved useful already.
It was a credit to the network of agents to which Sapphire and Steel belonged, that Nitro and Topaz remained the only recruits to date.
The only recruits except Mercury.
The third figure, the true Transient, sat apart from these two. It watched them interact with half an eye, its mind focused on the café it maintained.
Topaz rubbed her shoulders, though the cold did not affect her. She turned to face Nitro and sighed. "A mental institution. It might be nicely sinister and it's definitely out of the way, but why the hell couldn't we wait somewhere warm and clean?"
"We'll have all the trimmings we could want, soon," Nitro offered, placatingly. "Once we've recruited Sapphire and Steel, the network will fall apart. We're already free of the past. Soon there will be nothing but chaos and disorder and we'll run free."
The Transient heard the exchange but did not join it. Topaz tossed a glance to their silent companion. She considered complaining again, but its steady gaze gave her second thoughts. She returned her attention to the space where their leader had left them, awaiting his mental instruction to reopen the path back.
~~~
The central chamber coalesced into view around Silver as he returned. There was something he felt he had forgotten, though he put that down to the disorienting teleports he had made during the last few hours.
"You got through?" The figure in the central alcove was all business.
"Yes, yes, I got through and I told them everything." Silver heard the tired irritation in his voice and composed himself.
"The device?"
"Yes, I gave Sapphire the device." A sharp pain stabbed through Silver's head as he thought about the metallic ball, but he shook it off. "And I told them that the Transients would be offering them a job and I told them we were counting on them to retrieve the box and send them back."
"They believed you? They thought that they were on their own?"
"Well aren't they?"
There was a pause as the figure rippled disconcertingly. "Quite. Your assessment of the briefing?"
"It went as well as could be expected. Better, given that I was out of that place before the Transients returned."
The central figure nodded and faded out of the alcove. All they could do was wait, now. Silver massaged the side of his head and the nagging pain which persisted, then turned to leave the chamber. He stopped short when Jet stepped in front of him.
"Silver," she began. The specialist watched as Jet chewed at her lip and studied her bare feet. Finally, she ventured, "How did he look?"
Silver reached a consoling arm around Jet's shoulders. She and Steel had not been lovers for a long time, or at least so he believed. The partnership between Sapphire and Steel seemed too intense and all-consuming for other connections, more was the pity. But the empath still retained a wealth of affection for the taciturn agent, and Silver himself felt drawn to her. After all, whilst Sapphire was still in danger, he and Jet had concerns in common.
"He looked fine," he offered, in as soothing a voice as he could manage. When Jet remained dubious, he added, "Tired and anxious, but fine."
Jet smiled weakly, obviously drained by her own recent efforts. "That's good," she whispered.
"It most certainly is," Silver replied, trying to sound cheerful. "Come on, Jet, let's get out of here. They'll call us when there's any news."
He guided the empath out of the chamber, unaware of the way Mercury slipped out behind him and silently followed.
~~~
"And how are we settling in, then?" asked the Transient Being, in his man-form. He stepped around the torn fixings from the broken table with a smirk on his face.
Sapphire detested the man's appearance. The hooded, arrogant eyes and sneering mouth fitted well with his genuine lack of compassion. She should have noticed it earlier, she thought. When they had all been at the service station and the man was playing the part of romantic runaway with the woman, she had not seen any of the looks or the touches expected in the interaction of two lovers.
She should have noticed it.
Steel, a few paces away from her, drew himself up and did a good job of appearing calm and unafraid. "Oh, the place seems pleasant enough," the agent replied glibly, "But I'm afraid I have to report that the service is atrocious. Sapphire and I have been here for hours, and haven't been offered so much as an aperitif!"
The man pretended to chuckle, though Sapphire saw disconcertion behind his eyes. She sent a low undercurrent of warning to her partner. Steel enjoyed provoking the forces which threatened them. It was often a good strategy to use, as they learned more this way than by allowing their opponent to spoon-feed them information. It was also not without risk.
In this set of circumstances, however, where their immediate goal was to initiate some kind of understanding with their enemy, provoking the man gave them no advantage.
She felt the warmth of Steel's reassurance and relaxed slightly. He had not forgotten what they had to do.
"Well I must say, I'm terribly sorry about that," the man was saying, still playing the game. "Perhaps you and the lovely Sapphire would care to consider leaving here and eating elsewhere?" He motioned to a table and sat down, keeping his hands in plain view, folded on the table top.
Sapphire looked to Steel for the lead. They might share equal responsibilities within their partnership, but mostly, Steel was expected to assume command. This was an approach which they both accepted, as it usually gave Sapphire the chance to analyse their enemy without the distraction of gamesmanship. Her partner risked taking his eyes off the Transient for a few moments and glanced across at her.
Sapphire knew what he was silently asking. She stretched with her senses to read the man, looking for any indication that he intended violence toward them. Although the being was steeped in brutality, there was no indication that he was here to destroy them. She sensed more of an anticipation and a feeling of triumph; the man was possibly over-confident. All this she conveyed to her partner in a moment.
Steel stepped up to the table. He drew a chair out for Sapphire to take and pushed it in for her as she sat down, then took the seat beside her. He folded his hands in a mirror of the Transient's posture and raised a politely questioning eyebrow at the man.
"Why don't you tell us what you have in mind?"
~~~
Jet had invited him into her retreat, and Silver had accepted. He had no ulterior motive, of course. Jet was a beautiful woman, but there was a time for seduction and that time was not now, in the midst of crisis. He let her ramble on, filling the silence with colourful reminiscences. It was easier than simply sitting and waiting, and as she talked, Silver began to see a side of Steel that had hitherto remained undiscovered.
The empath curled up on a cushion and spoke quite animatedly of her short partnership with Steel. More than two centuries ago, when they had both been newly active agents, circumstance had thrown them together. They had been assigned new partners as soon as they became available, partners able to pass on more experience, but had apparently learned a fair deal from each other during this short pairing.
Jet began to recount how Steel had asked her to teach him about her empathy. Though he had no empathic skills, he had shown a desire to understand all the power Jet could call upon; how far she could push things, how much of her energy it sapped, how soon she could recover.
How much it hurt.
Silver, unversed in any mental power beyond simple, first level telepathy, was surprised. He had never realised that empaths suffered to use their skills. The fact that an agent of Steel's supposed cold efficiency would take the time to recognise and explore this, left Silver feeling almost chagrined. He had known Sapphire for a long time, but she had never hinted that her powers caused her pain.
Infected by Jet's quiet honesty, he voiced his thoughts.
"We don't tend to go round complaining about it," Jet observed. "Our skills are a gift, which take training to enhance and practice to control."
"Show me?" Silver asked, falling to his knees before Jet and offering his temples. He was not going to be outdone in warmth and understanding by his greatest rival ...
"All right," Jet agreed. She reached forward and made contact, preparing to open Silver to a glimpse of all she could safely ...
She jerked her hands back.
"What is it?" Silver asked, disconcerted.
"Your mind!" Jet gasped. Tentatively, she reached forward again. This time she allowed a longer contact, searching out the nature of her misgivings. She gently peered inside, finally locating the problem.
Her mouth fell open in shock. Silver was becoming quite upset, and he grasped her falling hands and shook them. "Jet! What in heaven's name is wrong?!"
"Someone ..." she stated, "someone has been tampering - rather clumsily, I might add - with your mind ..."
~~~
The impossible café was silent for a time, after the Transient had made his offer. Although their response was already written, to respond too quickly would have looked suspicious.
Steel turned his head to contemplate his companion. He tried to find the expression which might tell the man that he did not like the idea of working for the Transients but felt he had no viable alternative. Fortunately, the expression appeared quite readily.
Sapphire calmly met his eyes. She was always so sedate and composed when they dealt with their opponents. She never crumpled, whatever the circumstances; not until they were alone. Not till after it was over.
Steel indulged in one last, lingering sweep of Sapphire's familiar features before he turned his gaze back to the Transient and sold their souls.
"We agree," he said quietly.
The man's cruel smile widened.
~~~
Topaz cocked her head to one side, suddenly filled with a sensation of victory. She caught Nitro's eye.
"We've got them," she hissed, triumphantly. "They're ours!"
~~~
After his initial panic had died away, Silver allowed Jet to take the lead. His earlier feelings of disorientation and forgetfulness made sense, now, and though he could not remember how this had happened, he knew that Jet could fill any gaps.
He settled next to her and the empath once again placed her hands on his temples.
"This is getting to be quite a habit, today," Silver observed, covering his disquiet with bluster. Jet smiled in understanding and then her eyes went black.
[Remember,] she sent into his mind.
~~~
Hidden in shifting dimensions, Mercury watched Jet's retreat. He had no ability to enter it, not in this domain, not even using his travelling skills. She and Silver had been inside for a while, and it bothered him. He had no empathic talent, so could not read anything of the exchange taking place.
His earlier manipulation of Silver had been hasty and unskilled. An empath of Jet's ability would easily see his fingerprints all over Silver's mind, if she looked in the right places.
But even if his treachery had been discovered, they could not stay in the retreat forever. They had to come out some time. It would take only a single suspicious sign from either of them and he could call upon all the power of the Transients and deal with them permanently.
~~~
The man stood up and stepped away from the table. The two agents followed suit.
Sapphire was unsure as to what might happen next. Presumably they would leave this godforsaken pocket - and not a moment too soon, either - but where they would be taken and what they might face there, was unknown.
She shared her trepidation with Steel and sensed his own in return. He stood close to her, his shoulder touching hers, and she drew comfort from his presence.
The man indicated the doorway with a questioning eyebrow. "Shall we go?" he asked, his voice greasy with satisfaction.
"Yes, let's go," Steel responded.
Sapphire felt her partner place a guiding hand in the small of her back and they stepped forward together. When the man made no move they stopped short, watching as the being brought up a warning finger.
"Oh, there is one small matter which I need to take care of," he said airily, as though talking about a triviality. "You see, I have a problem."
"What's that, then?" Steel enquired, his tone guarded. Sapphire noted how he casually rearranged the opening of his jacket, and understood that he was offering her a reminder of the location of their ticket home. She had the power to retrieve it through telekinesis, if necessary, but was loath to consider the possibility of using it without her partner.
"Well, you must understand that this is not the first time that I've offered you a place in our ranks. You've both refused us, once before." The man studied them sharply, and Sapphire knew he looked for any indication that this was not already shared knowledge between herself and Steel. "So how do I know, this time, that you aren't joining us with some ulterior motive?"
"Of course we have an ulterior motive!" Steel snapped. Sapphire once again readied an undercurrent of warning, but it was unnecessary. Steel played the part magnificently. "How can we possibly refuse, when the alternative is to remain here for the rest of our lives!"
"Well said!" the man laughed. Then his eyes narrowed again. "But what loyalty can we expect from you both? You've been coerced into our number. If the opportunity presents itself to leave us, or even destroy us, how do I know you won't take it?"
Steel paused before he replied, and Sapphire knew how carefully he chose his words. "Our organisation has abandoned us, here. I believe that they would not be unduly bothered by our destruction. Sapphire and I are aware of how we are resented, in high places." All this was the truth. "I cannot simply promise you our lifelong allegiance, because you're asking for something which it is against my very nature to give. I'm sure you understand that. But as Sapphire and I owe no further loyalty to our organisation, we have no duty to work for your destruction."
"You're offering a temporary alliance?" the man suggested.
"I'm offering our help in ... whatever it is you need us for."
"What makes you think that we need you?"
"The fact that we are alive."
"Ah, yes, I suppose that would do it." The man seemed to consider. "Your attitude seems fair," he observed. "But you could be lying."
"You'll have to take that chance," Steel challenged.
"Why should I?" The being smirked. "You know I have the means to discover the truth."
"But we will not offer our assistance and loyalty to you willingly, if you violate our minds again," Steel replied quickly. He pressed closer to Sapphire and she reached with her mind into his inside pocket, locating the metal device and lifting it an inch in readiness.
"What makes you think that your willingness matters to me?" the being pressed.
Sapphire felt a pressure, suddenly, inside her head. The Transient Being was preparing to probe her mind! When she glanced at Steel, she saw him frowning and realised that he felt the same invasion. This was no good! Steel had done an admirable job of trying to persuade the man that they could be trusted for now, but it hadn't been enough. If the Transients discovered that they were still loyal to their organisation, then the plan was finished anyway. Slowly, she began to draw the home-device out of Steel's pocket, offering as much resistance as she could to the insistent probing around her mind.
Steel attempted to continue the discussion, though he obviously found the probe extremely uncomfortable. His voice became strained. "Because you'll get more out of us that way than by forcing our allegiance!" he cried through clenched teeth.
But there was no relenting in the man's mental incursion. Aware that they had failed, Sapphire whipped the device from Steel's jacket and palmed it, throwing herself into her partner's arms and activating the mechanism.
Nothing happened.
She tried again.
Nothing.
Steel, almost blinded with the pain of his mind's violation, took the ball from her with fumbling fingers. As Sapphire circled him with her arms, he tried to activate the device himself.
But they remained in the café, helpless under the mental onslaught of the Transient Being.
Sapphire still clung to Steel, even when it became clear that they would not be whisked off to the soothing dimensions of their home domain. Steel finally arrested his attempt to work the device and, in a fit of futile retaliation, threw the ball at their enemy.
It broke into a haze of silvery glitter before it reached the man's face, and their enemy smiled appreciatively.
Steel was no longer able to support his own weight and fell to his knees, as Sapphire clutched him. She sank to the floor with him, the room starting to swirl, and her last thought before losing consciousness was of Silver, with the playful eyes, the smooth throwaway lines and the suggestive smile.
And she was consumed with the devastating awareness that Silver had betrayed her.
~~~~~~~
Continued in Chapter 5
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