Malaise: cleanup at the Leibashen household
I stepped out of the bedroom where Mr. and Mrs. Leibashen were recovering. They were going to need a lot of time to heal, but they were strong and would eventually recover. The damage done by the oscillator was extensive and though I repaired everything I could, I still couldn't fix some of the liver damage she might face. She might not be able to drink any of the fine wines from their collection for a while. Though not prolific drinkers, they did have good taste. A shame.
"Franclin, have you finished packing everything up?" He nodded in agreement and then looked at me, sensing our next order of business. "You saw it too when we turned out the lights, didn't you? One of the twin tigers on staff, the one with the yellow bow in her hair, Tiete, she was glowing pink. She's got a functioning oscillator in her. I didn't see one in her sister Lucy though. I fear she may have been the culprit behind this plot. The way she grinned with glee everytime Mrs. Leibashen would moan or wince in pain. It was as if she was enjoying it."
We went downstairs to where the staff had gathered in the kitchen. "She's going to be ok." I said to everyone as they let out a collective sigh of relief, started crying and hugging each other. I looked around and only saw one twin, Lucy, with a green bow in her hair, she was crying and hugging someone else. She seemed genuinely affected by the news and I wondered how much she knew about what her sister was actually doing. It was unlikely she would do anything in front of the rest of the staff is she was involved, so I took a chance and figured I would try to collect some information from her.
I approached and asked in my kindest voice "Do you know where your sister is at, I need some help upstairs with cleaning and Mr. Leibashen said she would be more than capable."
"I don't know, last I saw she was up in her room. She said she was feeling ill and needed to lay down. Colorado, are you sure that Mrs. Liebashen is going to be ok? What she had wasn't contagious or an evil spirit, was it?"
"What she had isn't contagious, but I do worry that it's taken a huge toll on the general well being of the household. I know that you and your sister have taken it really hard though these last few weeks caring for the Leibashens." I lied and pressed for information.
"Yes, Colorado. The whole household has been suffering, we are all like family here. I...I'm glad you came to help. We weren't sure you would be able to since every doctor that has stopped by hasn't been able to even find a cause or treat the symptoms."
I didn't get the impression that she knew about what her sister did and decided not to press her any further when there was still a very real threat from Tiete in the house.
Franclin and I quickly made our way over to the staff wing of the mansion and heard rustling behind a door that had a plaque of two little kittens rolling around a ball of yarn. I opened the door and inside was Tiete, packing her and her sisters clothes. She was finished packing her case and putting things her in sisters with her back to the door as we entered.
"Going somewhere?" I said and startled her, with her throwing her hands up in the air and freezing
"I didn't know that was going to happen, ok. They said I needed to do it and that they would take care of me and my sister for life. I thought Mrs. Leibashen would be fine, like me." She put her hands down and covered her eyes, starting to sob quietly as she came around the bed and away from the nightstand she was emptying.
If it hadn't been for Franklin's quick reflexes pushing me out of the way I would have been impaled in the throat by a small set of hairpins that Tiete had thrown at exactly where I was standing. She tried to run for the window to jump out of it, but Franclin was faster and dashed at her legs and knocking her to the ground where he then pinned her arms and legs to the floor.
I closed the door to the bedroom and locked it.
"Regardless of what happens next, your sister is going to be fine and I'll be sure that she's taken care of, and that's why I'm better than MechMaj, I don't barter for the lives of innocents. But, if you tell me what I need to know, I'll make sure she never learns about what you've done. You'll have just disappeared after being upset by this whole ordeal. But if you lie to me, or refuse to cooperate, then there will be little I can do to keep the truth hidden, understand?"
Tiete growled on the floor and struggled to get up, and though her strength was enhanced by the oscillator, Franclin was stronger and kept her on the ground. "Now, tell me. Did MechMaj send you?"
"If I tell you anything, they are going to kill us."
"You should be afraid of me, not them right now. Did they send you to implant Mrs. Leibashen?"
"Yes" she said reluctantly. "But she deserved it."
"Oh? And why is that?"
"Because she is morally bankrupt. Her and that loudmouth husband are polyamorous swingers, inviting 'guests' over to spend weeks at a time indulging in unproductive sexual encounters. It's disgusting and against everything I believe in. And MechMaj offered me a way to clean the sickness out of her. If she were truly pure she would have survived without a problem, like me. But this is her own undoing. The order is purging the chaos out of her!" she snarled with a little spittle flying across her lips.
"And what if I told you that it's not anymore? That the machines in her didn't know any morality. They are just machines. But she is a living person and is free to do what she wants, whether you agree or not. No, you don't care though, do you? You are past that point now. You've gone totally extreme. So tell me, is there anyone else here in the house with the implant?"
"No, just the two of us, they didn't have any more to use since you destroyed their supply. They know about you, ya know. They keep hearing rumors about someone resisting them. And that little stunt with Bernadette, that was a big wakeup call that there was a major player in town. Your days are numbered here. The Universal Machine will expand and the gears of the righteous will continue to turn and crush you. You can bet on that! You and your perverted friend here. Yeah, I know about you too!" She said and then spit in Franklin's face.
"I've heard about enough from you, but I have one last question. Who specifically sent you here?"
"I'm not telling you anything anymore. Do whatever you want to me. What can you do here anyway that they won't find out about, huh? Are you going to kill me? Or maybe you aren't able to do what you need to and will have to let me go? You can't turn me over to the police, MechMaj owns them! So what are you going to do, you big pussy!" Tiete started pulling and trying to get out of Franklin's grasp, but he held firm while I pulled out a trans-dimensional shifter I had kept tucked into the back of my trousers and strapped it Tiete.
"How about you meet you masters then? A one way ticket to the home office, Hmm? Your enhancements should hold you together and let you regenerate when you get to the other side. Now, MechMaj regulations state that trans dimensional travel is not advised outside of a ship or suit and should only be done by experienced navigators. But in your case, I think they'll make an exception." I said wickedly and with only an ounce of satisfaction that I allowed myself to feel.
I activated the trans-dimensional shifter and before she could even scream, she was turned 90 degrees from everything else. She would be ok when she got to the other side, I had made sure that the shifter would bounce her in the direction of a MechMaj outpost, far from where she could cause any trouble here.
Unfortunately, Franclin fell facedown on the floor and landed with an oomph. I picked him up and put the shifter he was carrying on the suitcases that Tiete had packed and sent them off to follow her.
I felt bad for Lucy. The twins were orphans, but it was always Lucy who was the sweet and tender one that needed looking after by her bigger sister. A big sister I had heard that displayed a cruel and ruthless streak at times. Perfect MechMaj material. Tiete shouldn't expect a warm greeting for being a failure and landing up unexpectedly at their doorstep.
I went downstairs and went looking for Lucy, who had gone outside to a gazebo to get some fresh air. When I found her I told her "I have to brace you for some bad news. Your sister had to be taken away for an immediate quarantine. Though there isn't anyone else affected in the house, your sister had come into contact with the same ailment that afflicted Mrs. Leibashen"
Lucy's tail and shoulder drooped in sadness while her breathing increased. I thought she was going to faint at first, but after a moment, she slowed her breathing down and asked "Why did she leave before saying goodbye? Can I see her?"
"No, she's already on her way to a treatment center. It's going to be some time before they allow any contact with her" I lied. This would buy me some time to come up with another story, but I could tell she wasn't exactly buying it.
"What are you hiding from me Colorado?" She said with a sharper edge to her tone.
"I've told you all I know for now. I'll keep you updated, but you must prepare yourself for the possibility that she won't be back for some time. You will no doubt have your duties here to occupy your time, but I will let you know when conditions change for your sister. That is all I can do for now."
Another heavy sigh and after a few moments of silence, she concluded "Then I thank you for everything you have done for the house and hope that you can get Tiete back to me soon. She's always taken care of me, and I hate being away from her. It's as if I can feel her pain even now...but again. Thank you for all your assistance."
I bowed slightly and turned away as an uncomfortable silence descended on the garden. I could have said more, but that would only have complicated the situation. I felt bad enough having to lie to the young girl, but at least I could spare her some grief by keeping her as uninvolved in the situation as best I could.