House chamber--head on the flagpole, foot on the Speaker's bench, arm on the podium. Blood was spattered everywhere, and ragged shreds of flesh stuck to the furniture and walls.
Many of the e-reps were also stained with their colleague's remains--including Connecticut, as she explained to Nevada what had happened.
"Half an hour ago, the power went out," said Connecticut. "We heard Zacatecas screaming, but we didn't know why until the lights came back up five minutes later. We found him...like this." She looked down at her bloody hands and clothes.
Suddenly, Sinaloa stormed toward them, scowling with rage. "Arrest this man!" He grabbed hold of Nevada's wrist and wrenched it into the air. "He killed my Mexican hermano !"
"That's enough," said Connecticut. "Let him go."
"Who among us was mysteriously absent when Zacatecas was murdered ?" Sinaloa shook Nevada's arm for the crowd. " This man! He only reappeared when the killing was finished ."
Antarctica pushed forward. "I was with him when this happened! Nevada didn't kill anyone ."
"Then what was he doing?" said Sinaloa.
"Saving my life!" said Antarctica. "I was attacked and nearly drowned at the Reflecting Pool!" With one hand, she held up strands of her long hair, which was still wet. With her other hand, she held up her soaked white fur wrap.
"How do we know for sure?" Sinaloa locked eyes with her. "Perhaps you were his accomplice in this atrocity."
Fed up with the grandstanding, Nevada tore his wrist free of Sinaloa's grip. "Enough infighting. This is exactly what they want."
"'They' who?" said Sinaloa.
"You're right about one thing," said Nevada. "More than one person is involved in these murders."
With that, Nevada headed for the front of the chamber. The crowd of e-reps silently parted to make way for him.
"Someone attacked Antarctica at the Reflecting Pool while the murders were underway here." Nevada walked up to the podium, where Zacateca's left arm rested. "That tells us at least two people were involved."
Nevada gazed at the severed arm on the podium, its hand curled into a loose fist. "In five short minutes, power was cut to the House, Zacatecas was torn to pieces, and power was restored. That's a lot for one person to do alone in that amount of time."
"You should know," said Sinaloa.
Nevada turned the arm over. "In those same five minutes, someone also did this." Nevada held up the arm for the crowd to see. "They cut open Zacatecas' sleeves and carved the number '98' into his flesh."
The watching e-reps gasped and mumbled.
"The countdown continues," said Nevada, "unless we start working together and find who did this."
Sinaloa glowered at Nevada for a long moment. Then, he spun and marched up the aisle toward the doors.
"You're right," he said over his shoulder. "It's time to get some answers."
Nevada put down Zacatecas' severed arm. "How do you plan to do that?"
"By making a call," said Sinaloa.
"To who?" said Nevada.
"Who else?" said Sinaloa. "The Developers."
*****
Sinaloa charged across the vast rotunda beneath the dome of the Capitol building and stopped on a single glowing tile in the middle of the room. Nevada and Antarctica, who had followed him from the House chamber, stood to one side.
When Sinaloa placed his right hand over his heart and recited the Pledge of Allegiance, a shaft of light burst up from the glowing tile, striking the middle of the dome. Smoothly, the dome split on one side and rolled open, revealing a starry night sky overhead.
The shaft of light from the tile spiked straight up, never dimming as it shot into the heavens. This was the holy connection to the godlike Developers in the world outside, the fabled soulpipe .
"I've never actually seen a soul call before." Antarctica's voice was soft and slow with wonder. "Will the Developers answer?"
Nevada shrugged. The same question was foremost in his own mind at that moment.
Since the murders, the role of House Speaker had fallen on Sinaloa, which qualified him
Many of the e-reps were also stained with their colleague's remains--including Connecticut, as she explained to Nevada what had happened.
"Half an hour ago, the power went out," said Connecticut. "We heard Zacatecas screaming, but we didn't know why until the lights came back up five minutes later. We found him...like this." She looked down at her bloody hands and clothes.
Suddenly, Sinaloa stormed toward them, scowling with rage. "Arrest this man!" He grabbed hold of Nevada's wrist and wrenched it into the air. "He killed my Mexican hermano !"
"That's enough," said Connecticut. "Let him go."
"Who among us was mysteriously absent when Zacatecas was murdered ?" Sinaloa shook Nevada's arm for the crowd. " This man! He only reappeared when the killing was finished ."
Antarctica pushed forward. "I was with him when this happened! Nevada didn't kill anyone ."
"Then what was he doing?" said Sinaloa.
"Saving my life!" said Antarctica. "I was attacked and nearly drowned at the Reflecting Pool!" With one hand, she held up strands of her long hair, which was still wet. With her other hand, she held up her soaked white fur wrap.
"How do we know for sure?" Sinaloa locked eyes with her. "Perhaps you were his accomplice in this atrocity."
Fed up with the grandstanding, Nevada tore his wrist free of Sinaloa's grip. "Enough infighting. This is exactly what they want."
"'They' who?" said Sinaloa.
"You're right about one thing," said Nevada. "More than one person is involved in these murders."
With that, Nevada headed for the front of the chamber. The crowd of e-reps silently parted to make way for him.
"Someone attacked Antarctica at the Reflecting Pool while the murders were underway here." Nevada walked up to the podium, where Zacateca's left arm rested. "That tells us at least two people were involved."
Nevada gazed at the severed arm on the podium, its hand curled into a loose fist. "In five short minutes, power was cut to the House, Zacatecas was torn to pieces, and power was restored. That's a lot for one person to do alone in that amount of time."
"You should know," said Sinaloa.
Nevada turned the arm over. "In those same five minutes, someone also did this." Nevada held up the arm for the crowd to see. "They cut open Zacatecas' sleeves and carved the number '98' into his flesh."
The watching e-reps gasped and mumbled.
"The countdown continues," said Nevada, "unless we start working together and find who did this."
Sinaloa glowered at Nevada for a long moment. Then, he spun and marched up the aisle toward the doors.
"You're right," he said over his shoulder. "It's time to get some answers."
Nevada put down Zacatecas' severed arm. "How do you plan to do that?"
"By making a call," said Sinaloa.
"To who?" said Nevada.
"Who else?" said Sinaloa. "The Developers."
*****
Sinaloa charged across the vast rotunda beneath the dome of the Capitol building and stopped on a single glowing tile in the middle of the room. Nevada and Antarctica, who had followed him from the House chamber, stood to one side.
When Sinaloa placed his right hand over his heart and recited the Pledge of Allegiance, a shaft of light burst up from the glowing tile, striking the middle of the dome. Smoothly, the dome split on one side and rolled open, revealing a starry night sky overhead.
The shaft of light from the tile spiked straight up, never dimming as it shot into the heavens. This was the holy connection to the godlike Developers in the world outside, the fabled soulpipe .
"I've never actually seen a soul call before." Antarctica's voice was soft and slow with wonder. "Will the Developers answer?"
Nevada shrugged. The same question was foremost in his own mind at that moment.
Since the murders, the role of House Speaker had fallen on Sinaloa, which qualified him
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