Cath

The Cradle

Freyr looked at the hand, then patted one of the claws gently. “Thanks.” She said, sniffing to regain composure. She slurped her tea, enjoying the fragrant taste. She let out a shuddering breath and nodded reassuringly. “I’m fine.”

“Dr Lang, can you look at this for me please?” one of her brightest new intakes she’d kept on Outremer called. Freyr got up and walked over to the young female scientist, what was her name again? Her implant confirmed it was Dr Girard. “What is it?” Several eyes in the room tracked Freyr as she moved, and people began making more productive noises in their groups.

“Check this signal cluster from the Object. Just opened up a few seconds ago.” Dr Girard pointed to a thin wisp of energy emitting from one side of the pitch black mass inside the Vault’s staging area. It was being tracked and dissected by the facilities state-of-the-art sensory equipment, but still represented one of the most sophisticated connections Freyr had ever seen.

“It’s searching for the Cradle. It’s awake!” Freyr exclaimed, temporarily forgetting everything else. In three hundred and fifty years, no one had seen active signals from a creature like the Cradle, this was history in the making! “This corresponds with the codex we uncovered in the thing’s mind - it’s how they join together, it must be.” Dr Wetherall murmured, gently queuing calibrations to the equipment for downstairs to implement. People crowded around them to get a closer look.

The Cradle

”That could work. People who’ve been inside the Object would have recent scans already. I think we could all use a psych-eval anyway, we’ve been through so much… Freyr looked around, thinking.

She could tell people were scared, and trying to cope by reconnecting with their peers. She just couldn’t imagine any of them bombing innocents - so much of their situation was a mystery, and Freyr just felt ill-equipped to solve it by herself.

She was glad of Vreta’s help, although he’d need careful management along with all the other interested parties. She couldn’t be certain any of them would favour the Cradle Dead over a new, shiny super weapon.

”I don’t know anything about the Skinners, I've never needed to. Surely we can find someone who does?”

Freyr looked back at the screen. “...viewers may find distressing.” The news had gone back to the studio, but quickly switched to cameras aboard press craft in orbit. The Barbarossa and an unfamiliar-looking Rothian craft were floating among a mass of radioactive wreckage. Colourful purple lights danced on Outremer’s upper atmosphere.

Distraught murmurs and some colourful cursing filled the lab. Freyr bit her lip as her eyes scanned the scene; a tear escaped down her cheek which she promptly wiped away. It's not your fault, she told herself, unconvinced.

The Cradle

“Ummm, i don’t know. You aren’t required to disclose modifications until you reach a certain clearance level. So many in my division are first-years, I barely know their names let alone implants. I could try and find out, but it may raise flags somewhere.”

Nearby, one of the scientists turned on a holo-screen projecting the evening news in 3D. “Turn it down! Some of us are trying to work.” Dr Wetherall complained, and the junior duly complied. The reporter in front of the camera was a familiar face, Freyr remembered finding him quite attractive before she met David.

Over his shoulder, she could see a raging fire and black flags of smoke curling from the brightly lit Parliament complex. Emergency vehicles swarmed overhead. “...Weekend sitting of the Cradle select committee, to discuss the recent power surges. Initial reports suggest at least one member of the committee has lost their life this evening. The influential Skinner’s Guild has taken responsibility for the attack, and said while it regrets violence, threatened further attacks until the government reverses key policy changes on Cradle integration. We are now waiting on an announcement from President DeWinter, who was not at Parliament this evening.”

The Cradle

Freyr nodded thoughtfully. To the casual observer, it would’ve looked like she was considering the new images of the Object on her screen. It had kept the same shape as the scans when it was underground, but you’d have a hard time figuring that out in person. In contrast to the Cradle, which displayed a pearly white exterior, the Object’s skin was like that of Vantablack, Humanity’s first attempt at creating the darkest substance in the universe.

On regular cameras, the Object presented as a black hole, whichever angle you studied it from. Freyr was idly mulling over the possibility of it being a camouflage response to being dragged out of hiding. Now that her heartbeat was slowly returning to normal, Freyr could feel herself drawn more to the facts and figures again. Even from up here, she could make a difference. She could direct the coupling from here, and then go into the simulation from the lab if necessary. But that’d be risky without first digesting the full dataset which was in quarantine down below.

”I think so. I may not agree with how your society is organised, but I agree with you. Whatever your actual job title. I may be in a minority though.” Freyr looked around, and noted the various faces who, having found a lull in the conversation, were regarding Vreta curiously. While everyone on her team knew who Vreta was in principle, they’d never met or talked to him.

The Cradle

Freyr huffed at Vreta’s forward line of inquiry. It wasn’t totally surprising he was asking her such a personal question. She knew from her time around Rothians that they tended to be direct and have no concept of privacy. She resigned herself to answering, growing tired even as she did so.

”Honestly, this feels like the new normal now. I’ve been swept up on the tide, with no time or perspective to plot a safe course. And how can I seek help, when everyone has their own agenda? No, best I focus on holding things together long enough to unravel this whole mess…”

Freyr took another long sip of her tea, savouring the hot liquid in her throat. ”This ‘traitor’, how can we possibly ‘protect ourselves’ from them if we don’t know who they are?”

Staff update

Thank you for everything!

The Cradle

Freyr’s eyes flicked up to study Vreta from over the bridge of her AR glasses. She was leaning forward over a console, getting reacquainted with the HQ’s unique connection to the Cradle. The Object was in the staging area just outside the Vault, where the Cradle was kept. She flicked through some cameras, but couldn’t concentrate right now.

A sizable complement of her division, the majority of those who had stayed behind on Outremer, were already in the lab when they arrived. There had been some relieved hugs and many of her team were still catching up with each other, sitting on tables or lab equipment. Someone had brought her a cup of herbal tea.

Freyr sighed and picked up the cup, raising it to her face and letting the hot vapours waft over her. She still looked at Vreta as she drank, across the bank of computers from herself. That Skinner had really scared her, saying her name like he knew her personally. The prospect of others like him living and working all around her sent shivers down Freyr’s spine.

I suppose you’re right. But why would they do such a terrible thing? Freyr felt grateful for implant comms right now; she didn’t feel up to the task of verbal speech right now. She sat down on the swivel chair behind her.

The Cradle

Despaired mutterings rippled through the group as Vreta relayed what he knew. Freyr let in a shuddering breath and shook her head. “No, that can’t be…” 595 swore again, and whirled round again to address the plain clothes security who had taken up defensive positions around the lobby. “You four, with me. We’re going to the security office to sweep the route. The rest of you, cover the exits. Lets go!”

As the different teams departed, Freyr looked at Vreta, nodded shakily and sighed heavily. She patted Masgard’s arm as he stood looking concerned and surveyed the rest of the scientists. They were talking quietly in groups, loosely ringed by the bulky CraSec operators. Sergeant Thrace clanked forward, facing them. “Alright, you heard the lady; let's get you squared away. We’ll take the stairs up to your HQ.” He announced.

The division headquarters was only a few floors up. It was early evening now, and a weekend, so there weren’t many other souls about. Those that were had already received instructions to stay put and lock their doors. Other Babel security guards clustered at chokepoints, but let the mass of armed soldiers and scientists pass.

Freyr realised on the way up why they’d elected to head to the HQ rather than all hang around in the lobby. It only had two entrances - one either side of the spire. It also had strong rooms intended for unstable substances that would also stand up to severe punishment from the outside. The stairs brought them up into the main atrium, which branched off through decontamination stations to accommodation, labs and everything else. “Make yourselves comfy in the Lab 4, but don’t wander off.” Thrace instructed, consulting a holo-map.

The Cradle

“Please let me go.” Freyr sobbed, wrestling her head out from under her guard’s vice-like grip. “Are you hurt?” He shouted in her ear. “You are hurting me! Let me go!” She pleaded as they passed through the big automated doors into the complex. He released her head, but still held onto her arm with his off-hand.

They were in the brightly lit lobby of the research vertical which contained her division’s physical headquarters. It was a home away from home for many people Freyr worked with, and she had some happy memories here. There were labs, supply stores and dormitories, along with state of the art training facilities for Cradle adepts.

“That little shit!” 595 growled as the doors closed and locked behind them. She turned to the CraSec sergeant. “Ok, change of plan Sergeant Thrace. Take them to the accommodation and lock down that floor. No one in or out without me saying so, understood?” The man nodded. “Yes, ma’am.” 595 then turned to the leader of the plain clothes security who had been waiting for them.

“Are you in touch with the Vault?”

“We have a hardline open. Through there.”

“Get a sitrep from them, tell them we’ll be delayed. Then find out where that blast was.” 595 ordered, before turning back to the assembled civilians.

“Everyone OK? Just a precaution, but I want you to follow Sergeant Thrace into the facility until we get the all-clear, alright?”

The Cradle

“I came to warn you. We know what you found, what you brought back here.” The man twirled the axe lazily between his fingers and swayed gently toward them. There was a bright flash from high above the group; Freyr craned her neck to see. A sinister purple glow shone through the black cloud cover. Something was happening high in the atmosphere, or up in space.

The man switched seamlessly to Cantonese now that he had everyone's attention. “The people deserve to know, Doctor Lang. If truly you intend to kill them all.” He trained his gaze on Freyr from where she peered out behind Agent 595. He smiled knowingly at her when they locked eyes. Freyr cleared her throat and falteringly replied in kind. “I’ll do no such thing.”

“Leave her alone, you sadistic bastard.” 595 shouted over the rain, shooting a bolt from her pistol straight through the man’s chest. He laughed throatily, pointing his axe at the Agent while still locking eyes with Freyr as they all backed away. “This gweilo bitch and those like her are a scourge on this world, but we know you’re different, Freyr Lang. You have the power to stop this before it's too late. If you don’t...well, the Guild doesn't look kindly on traitors.”

As if on cue, another bright light, closer this time, lit up the dreary rain-flooded sky above Babylon. Several members of the congregation yelled in fright and a general air of panic spread through the group as a towering gout flame erupted from an area of the city off in the distance. “Parliament! I’m pretty sure!” Someone shouted. Freyr gasped and clamped her hand to her mouth to stop her wailing. She felt sick.

The man spread his hands, a triumphant look on his face. “We’ll see you all soon.” He smirked, switching back to his accented Standard.


The hologram burst into a million pieces which blew away on the wind, leaving them standing across from another security detail who was running to meet them.

“Get inside, NOW!” The first one shouted. They were all dressed in smart black suits and ties, sporting big guns. One of them barged through the front line and grabbed Freyr, pushed her head down and began pulling her towards safety. 595 packed in close on the other side. The CraSec operators all started shouting at once, herding the group quickly forward.