Chloe At Worlds' End
Chapter 7

Alessandro ledthe way, followed by Chloe, Onri, Grog, and a floating Mr. Carpet carryingColin. It was somewhat easy to stay concealed from above, as the city had manyporticos, which were long covered patios which bordered many of the old stylereconstructed buildings. Alessandro said

“It is not too far, but I will stop and point it out from adistance before we get there… I don’t understand, it was reported in the mediathat the perpetrator was apprehended…” Onri replied

“Yes, it is truly a conspiracy now. As you saw when we wereattacked, it is certainly not the case that it’s over”

“That is very intriguing… and frightful!”

“Yes, and we are the only ones who know this so far”

“But who is doing this… and why?” Chloe answered him

“Unbelievably, it is Rajeem, the same villain from long agowho is now in the reincarnated form of that wolf. And the reason why we surmiseis still the same as before… his inherent insanity for wanting to controlothers…” Alessandro offered

“It seems such an antiquated concept for someone to wantthat kind of control… like from a bygone era which humans have supposedly sinceevolved past” Chloe retorted

“Yes… exactly. SinceI have been in contact again with our planets’ evolutional genetic entity ofconsciousness, who you may remember was called ‘Mother’, she has shown me amystery of the nature of his existence. It seems that his presence is showingthat we have not yet entirely evolved past this kind of a genetic plague… orthat we have, but not him” Alessandro replied

“I see… well, that does seem to make some kind of sense”

As they alltraversed the city, they were of course quite a sight, as anyone that theypassed would stop and stare incredulously. After a short time, Alessandrostopped them and said

“We are almost there… maybe Grog should duck into thisalcove here to hide now before anyone else notices him. The central control isjust around this corner and across the street” Grog proceeded to hide, alongwith Colin and Mr. Carpet, while the rest of them peeked. As the three of themlooked, they saw that a bus load of school children were disembarking in frontof an ordinary looking building. Alessandro said

“That is the building there… and the grid’s central computeris on a lower level. When I before went there with my class, we were eventuallybrought into a large room where we were shown what you are looking for” Onrisaid

“Our timing couldn’t have been more perfect. If we hurry,maybe we can sneak in along with them without being noticed that we taggedalong!” Chloe agreed

“Yes, let us hurry over there and try to blend in behindthem…”

The three ofthem rounded the corner and walked down the street a short way past it, andthen crossed the street to sidle up behind the crowd of children. They lookedat one another knowingly as they were sure that no one had really noticed them.The doors then opened and they all shuffled inside in single file. Once inside,the doors were closed and a tour guide before them began speaking in Italian.They listened as they were led along a long corridor which had floor to ceilingglass walls on either side, where inside were teaming banks of computerizedequipment which twinkled and booped. When they reached the end of it, theystopped before an immense iron vault of a door. The tour guide then spoke to asensor upon it which recognized her voice and it automatically slid open. Theythen followed as everyone traversed down a few flights of stairs. Once they hadreached the desired level, they were led along another long corridor like the oneabove of computers behind glass walls. Alessandro then motioned for them to lagbehind the crowd and duck into a marked rest room. Once inside he said

“We are fortunate that this restroom is here… we can wait afew minutes while they are taken into the main control room… then we should beable to sneak ourselves into it alone once they have left”

They waited thefew minutes, and sure enough as predicted, heard the crowd shuffle past in theopposite direction as they left. Alessandro quietly cracked open the door andpeeked out, then motioned for them to follow. They stealthily crept down theempty hallway and into a doorway on the left. Chloe and Onri had heard that thecentral computer of Sanctum was in fact much more than just a computer… it wasa living human brain… and more than one of them… and there it was! They stoppedand marveled before the many banks of cloned human brains which wereindividually encased in liquid filled glass canisters. There were several longrows of them which trailed off endlessly into the distance, all interconnectedwith wiring and blinking electronics. Chloe and Onri looked at each other inwide eyed astonishment.

Chloe then beganto hear Rajeem’s voice in her mind, he menacingly said

“You are very brave to come here… but this will be the lastplace that you will see before you die!” Chloe screamed as she suddenly felt asharp burst of pain inside of her head. She fell to the floor writhing…convulsing. Blood began trickling from her ears and nose as she vomited aswell. Onri exclaimed

“Chloe… what is it… what’s happening?!” Chloe touched thestaffs’ jewel to her temple and directed herself towards Rajeem… he was insideall of the computers’ brains all right… and she could feel his overwhelmingpower. She willed the jewels shield like corona to envelope her. Onri andAlessandro watched slack jawed as her convulsions stopped. Using her staff tohelp regain her footing and composure, she stood up. As she wiped blood fromher upper lip, she said

“I was just attacked as he spoke to me… he is in there as wesuspected!” Onri replied

“What can we do… can you get him out?!”

“I don’t know… but I don’t think I have the jewelsprotection if I use my mind to venture in again to confront him. I willconcentrate and be on my guard this time…

Chloe closed hereyes as she again willed her mind into the vast storage in front of her towardsRajeem. She saw that while the jewels corona protected her she could stillaffect anything in her physical surroundings, but to exert any kind of willedforce directly upon him she would have to lower her shield. She readiedherself… and lowered it. He immediately attacked her again, but she steeledherself from the pain, which was somewhat tempered this time as she fought it.She could see the endless myriad of synchronized tasks being performed by thecomputer which kept all of Sanctum functioning. Without this ‘computer’, it wascertainly clear to her that their world could not function. She wondered if itwas possible for her to extricate him from it… if she could not, she would haveto destroy it. She looked around herself at the dizzying vastness ofinterconnected synapses. They were all aglow with a circuitous flow ofelectrons which zipped this way over, and that way under her.

And there wasthe wolf thing Rajeem… suspended like an arch angel in the midst of it…relishing his control of it and all the people of her world. His violet coloredirises peered at her intensely… growing larger… and closer. The level of herpain was increasing and suddenly she began to panic. She didn’t know how tofight him in this way… she started to feel that she was fragmenting apart anddidn’t know how to stop it. She was dying! She screamed and retreated back toher body, and again raised the corona. When she opened her eyes, she found thatshe was again on the floor and in worse condition than before. Onri andAlessandro were kneeling over her and calling her name.

“Chloe…Chloe… wake up!” The pain began to subside a littleand she felt her strength return slightly as sat up. Just then, they all turnedto see an onslaught of Autobots flying, piling through the doorway. Theygrabbed Onri and Alessandro by their arms and legs. There were many of them andthey were pulling… pulling. The boys screamed in pain and were in immediatedanger of being mercilessly dismembered!

She called forththe jewels power, which shot violet colored bolts of plasma at their enemies.The ones that she hit burst into flying sprockets and springs that trailedsparks and smoke. But she needed help… there were too many of them. The boyswere still struggling… screaming… she looked to the jewel again and cast hervision out to the street for Grog. She saw him still there where they had lefthim and enveloped him into a violet mist… and snatched him fast into the room.The purple cloud materialized and out came Grog, leaping and trailing mist. Heroared as he jumped into the fray, pounding his heavy fists upon this combatantand that, while leaving piles of wreckage in his wake.

Chloe also laid her own path ofdestruction, and within several minutes it was over. They were all panting fromexertion as they looked around the room at the piles of smoking Autobot parts.Then, without warning they all heard in their minds the voice of Rajeem,accompanied again with that blistering pain. They all fell to their knees asthey listened to his voice which was interspersed with a high pitched whine.

“You have not won here… and now you will ALL die!” Chloe,Onri, Alessandro, and Grog all sank writhing to the floor as blood poured fromtheir ears and noses. Somehow he had breached her weakened corona when she wasoff guard. Chloe knew it was now or never. She had to destroy Sanctum!

As she lay thereconvulsing, she grasped the staff in both hands and pointed it towards thebanks of brains. With her last ounce of strength, she willed the full power ofthe jewel to strike. The room lit in a blinding flash of violet fury as theyall watched from the floor. The plasma stream shot though the vast distance ofthe rows as showers of glass, fluid, and grey matter shattered, splattered, andexploded! The lights then went out in the room as their world… the only worldthey had, died. Emergency backup power then kicked in and a somewhat dimmer systemof light sources came on. They were all quiet for a time as they draggedthemselves over to lean their backs upon the wall to recover… and to let sinkinto their minds what they had just done to their beloved Sanctum.

After a goodwhile, Chloe stood and said

“I’m starting to feel a little better… how is everyone?” Theboys stood, Onri said

“I think I am alright. Oh Chloe… what have we done?”Alessandro said

“We have just killed our world is what we’ve done… and I’mafraid to explain it to anyone that it was us who has done this. I’m alsoafraid to go outside to see the results…” Onri replied

“It will be sheer chaos out there… but we better get out ofhere now before we’re found out!” Chloe agreed

“I will take us out now… Alessandro, I will take us all toour American home district, do you want to come with us?” He answered

“Yes, that would be alright”

Chloe directedthe mist to envelope them all… and Mr. Carpet and Colin as well as they passedthem outside.

After only a fewmoments, Chloe cleared the mists and they all found themselves standing infront of Charlie’s boat shop… and their world did now look completelydifferent. It seemed dead. The faux sky was gone and in its place was only thebare rock cave ceiling. It must have been evening time here when they destroyedthe central control, as the fusion orb was now undoubtedly stuck somewhere atits last daytime location. The dim light sources now present were only anemergency backup. The usual ocean current flow of waves was missing, replacedby stagnant waters. And there were throngs of people seemingly migratingtowards some unknown destination. Chloe said

“Maybe we should become a little less conspicuous and haveGrog stay out of sight in the shop here…” Grog offered

“That is no problem… it looks empty” and he ducked inside.Colin queried

“I wonder where everyone is going” Onri interjected

“I’ll walk over to the street and ask someone” when hereturned he reported

“I was told that Sanctums main doors to the outsideautomatically opened to let in free flowing oxygen… and to much surprise… theyfound that the atmosphere outside was mild, and there was no snow… does thatmean that the ice age is over?!”

Chloe answered

“Well that would be incredible if it is, I wonder how longwe have all been living here in ignorance…” Just then, they heard Ms. Aggiecalling to them from the water.

“Hello everyone… you’re back!” They all clambered over therocks to the shore. Chloe greeted her

“Hello, nice to see you again Ms. Aggie… and all your pups”

“Likewise… but I’m afraid to ask what has happened”

“We found that thecentral control computer was infected with Rajeem and we had no choice but todestroy it”

“Oh my, I was afraid it was that bad. But what are we to donow… can we still survive here?”

“Onri has asked and we have found that there is a massmigration now taking place to the outside… it seems that the world may behabitable once again”

Just then, therewas a disturbance in the waters of the bay. Ms. Aggie and her pups looked aboutthemselves as they were being jostled around… and at a point further out wasseen much rippling, bubbling, and a spewing of violet colored mist. Chloeexclaimed

“Look out… we may be in for some trouble! Ms. Aggie, takeyour pups away from here!” As she complied, a large eye rose above the surfacewithin the mist and immediately began beaming its hot energy upon them. It shotbetween them and stuck the shop, which burst into flames. Grog was watchingfrom the window and jumped bursting through the glass, shattering it as helanded and rolled to safety. Chloe called forth her corona to envelope herselfand her friends. The eye then looked at her and spewed forth its energy at her.The violet plasma hit her corona in a blinding fury, but was held fast. Chloepointed her staff at it and returned its fire. When her beam hit its target,the eye was also safe within its own protective shield. Chloe and her friendswatched through the maelstrom.

Suddenly, theeye gave up its attack and sped off towards the direction of the crowds’migration. Chloe said

“Quick, hop onto Mr. Carpet… we need to follow it and try toprotect anyone in its path!” Grog and Ms. Aggie stayed behind as the rest ofthem hopped on and they flew off in pursuit. It was moving fast and theystruggled to catch up with it. To their horror, it wantonly attacked those onthe ground as it went, beaming plasma and vaporizing people as they ran interror while screaming. Onri pointed ahead

“Look, I think I see the outside!” Sure enough, they couldsee bright light streaming in through the large opened outer doors as crowdswere running to hopeful safety through them. The eye stopped just short of theexit and shot an immense field of its plasma at the rocky ceiling above it. Theresultant explosion shook the area as tons of earth collapsed around the exit.Obscured by dust and smoke, Chloe could hear muffled screams as the crowds wereburied. When the dust clouds began to settle, it was apparent that the exit wasnow nonexistent, and the eye had vanished. Alessandro said

“My god, what carnage and destruction… and now we’re allsealed in as well!” Chloe replied

“This is very bad…”

Through all ofthe turmoil below, they noticed that there were many stunned faces looking upat them in probable recognition of Chloe and legends of the past. Chloe said

“Let us go back to the bay now… maybe we should gather therest of our party and take some refuge in the Zoo District while we ponder whatwe should do next…” Back at the bay, with Grog and Colin upon Mr. Carpet withthem, Chloe once again gathered the mists and transported all of them,including Ms. Aggie and her pups, to the Zoo District. When Chloe dissipatedtheir mist, they all found themselves standing there upon the black sands ofits shores. Ms. Aggie said

“I will have all my children safe into this bay” and shedirected them into the water. Chloe said

“Maybe we would be more comfortable for now at the house,let’s go there”

Chloe, Onri,Alessandro, Grog, and Colin again assembled onto Mr. Carpet and rose into theair. Alessandro, along with the rest of them, marveled at the beauty of thispristine place. He said

“This is truly my favorite place. That volcano, the lake,the flowered mountains, and the floral scented air… I could stay here forever”When the house came into view, Alessandro asked

“This is unexpected. We were never shown this on our fieldtrip… whose house is this?” As they flew directly through the open doors of theattic balcony and landed inside, Onri explained

“If you can believe it, this is the original house fromOregon where it all began over eight hundred years ago. It was transported hereat that time by the original Chloe, using the power of the jewel” Alessandroshot

“Astonishing!” he looked around at all of the antiques inthe room, then back to Onri and Chloe and timidly asked

“Are you also going to tell me that all of this furniture…and that old vacuum cleaner contraption were… or are… the ones of the legend?”They continued to look back to him, but said nothing besides giving himmischievous grins. Chloe then made an introduction

“Hello everyone, we have for now safely returned. Pleasemeet our new friend Alessandro…” The chorus of hello’s that greeted hisdisbelieving ears clearly shocked him as they watched him stand there seeminglyfrozen in place. He finally managed a timid

“… Hello” There followed much laughter around the room. Onrisaid to him

“Don’t worry, you will quickly get past your shock” They allmade themselves more comfortable and sat upon Mr. Carpet. Mr. Grandfather Clockthen asked

“You all have a traveled and seasoned look about you… I takeit some things have happened?” Chloe answered

“Yes, I’m afraid the only thing that we have accomplished isdestroying our world…” Onri added

“We did have some success in replaceing and forcing Rajeem outof Sanctums’ central computer… but we had to destroy it in order to do so”Alessandro added

“And now without it, our world is dead” Grog also jumped in

“But there may be at least one favorable outcome to all ofthis. Sanctums’ doors to the outer world were thrown open… revealing a mild andtemperate climate free of ice and snow!” Ms. Wingback Chair said

“Well, that is quite remarkable… is the populous now movingoutside?” Chloe answered

“They were… until Rajeem attacked and sealed off the exit.I’m afraid to think of what his intent is in doing that… ” Alessandro added

“He is truly an evil being… he obviously doesn’t want togive up his control of everyone… what could he be planning?” Colin interjected

“Whatever that is, it is certainly our most pertinent taskat hand to thwart”