Day 9

When the day of the explosion finally arrived, Sham still had Kryl at his side. If his theories were correct—if his quest was anything to go by—then facing Julya alongside another who remembered the Loops might be enough to undo it.

But that wasn’t quite accurate. There wasn’t just two of them that remembered the Loops, now. There were three. Though Riot did not remember the Loops that came before, she would. Even if the three of them weren’t successful on this Loop—even if this quest was not the means to an end that Sham thought it could be—then they might on the one after, or the one after that. Such was the beauty of the time loop.

They’d planned their approach in the few moments that Tripe wasn’t around to overhear—in other words, when he was drinking in the pub upstairs—in case such insane-sounding talk scared him into booting them out of their hiding place. Besides, Tripe’s mind was on the mysterious bodies, and rightly so, if his story was anything to go by. Sham had considered taking a detour into solving this mystery instead, though had eventually decided—upon Riot’s prompting—that there would be plenty of time for that after the Loop had been broken.

But Sham had a growing doubt in his mind concerning his new friend. Riot had started talking to herself a lot more over the past three days, and both brother and friend had studied her with concerned eyes. They each knew the toll that Recollection could take on a mind, and each of them had tried to offer Riot help, but both had been batted away. She was fine, she had told them. All they could do was hope that she really was, or hope that she’d tell them that she wasn’t.

And so they set off, Riot and brother both armed with a revolver, Sham armed only with his new Vigour skill. Though, the living skill himself had suggested, that might just be enough to stop Julya. They alighted the tram on Government Plaza with time to spare, when although the sun had long since set, there were still the last remaining stragglers hanging around on the square. The trio positioned themselves on the steps leading up to the Tower, and from there, they kept watch.

A group of drunken men staggered past, hurrying up as the light shower began to fall. Though Sham didn’t remember them from either of the previous two attempts to stop the Target, he did recognise an old man, shuffling across the Plaza to an early job that perhaps should’ve now been given to a younger man. This similarity gave Sham some hope; that his, Riot’s and Kryl’s actions over the past nine days hadn’t changed the course of actions too much, that tonight might still go as it had previously.

Except, of course, the Citizen’s Police weren’t around this time to help. On the first Loop he remembered, there had been him and Mona to keep watch. On the second Loop—well, third, because he’d managed to get himself killed on the second one—there had been a whole contingent of officers to help stop her. The unifying factor? The one thing that had perhaps prevented success? In neither Loop there had been a plan, because only Sham had been there with memory of an attempt past. This time, that was going to change. This time, Sham felt hope.

‘Better get inside, you two,’ Sham said. ‘She’ll be here soon.’

Riot and Sham shared a nod, then he watched as the brother and sister hurried inside. As he sat there, the gentle rain soaking into his new jacket, he watched as a young boy ran across the centre of the Plaza. The kid stopped in the centre, illuminated by the gas-powered streetlamps, and stared at Sham for a second. The time traveller raised his hand in greeting, and the boy looked on without returning the gesture for a moment, before continuing to hurry off across the square.

And then she was there.

Julya stood across Government Plaza, frozen to the spot. Though Sham could not make out her face from his distance, he knew it was her; not just because she wore that familiar vibrant red wig, but because he felt her intense gaze upon him. This was a woman that he’d come to fear.

She approached, taking slow steps across the square. Sham could hear the gentle patter of feet upon wet ground grow louder as she drew closer. He pulled himself to a stand, once again rejoicing in the fact that this took so little effort since consuming that Vigour vial. No creaking joints, no aching limbs. He was strong. And, perhaps, now a match for Julya.

‘Just you this time?’ the Target asked as she came within earshot, slowing to a halt a good twenty feet away.

Sham gestured to the empty Plaza around them. ‘Do you see anyone else?’

The woman smiled. ‘Suppose I don’t. What’s changed, then, Sham? What makes you think you alone are gonna be enough to stop me?’

‘I was hoping we could talk.’

Julya nodded. ‘Ah. I see. So you say some magic little words and I decide that I don’t need to do this after all?’

‘Something like that, yeah,’ Sham replied.

‘Well I’d love to know what those words are, then. Am I right in thinking Enoch’s got to you?’

‘The PM?’ Sham asked. ‘You think I’d have anything to do with him? Fuck him. I just don’t want to have to keep going around and around and…’ He whirled his index finger in circles in the air.

‘Just the way it has to be, I’m afraid.’

‘Why?’

Julya blinked back at him. ‘Why?’ she repeated.

‘Yeah. Why? Why’s it have to be this way?’

‘He has to die, Sham. Enoch has to die.’

Sham breathed out an exasperated sigh; this wasn’t going in the direction that he’d hoped. ‘You’re not achieving that, though. Every time we do this, he lives. You destroy his Tower, sure, but then everything just gets reset again.’

‘I have it on good authority that one day it won’t.’

Sham narrowed his eyes. ‘Whose? Whose authority?’

Julya answered only with a smile.

They stared at each other for a few moments longer, Sham standing up the steps, Julya standing at the bottom, each of them pelted by the growing rain.

‘So,’ Julya finally said. ‘Shall we do this?’

Sham nodded. ‘Yeah. Suppose we have to.’

They stared at one another for a moment longer before finally jumping into action. Julya ran straight for him, an intensity in her eyes, a quickness in her step which told Sham that she’d already consumed a good few legendary grade skill vials on this particular Loop.

‘I sense my cousin within her…’ Vigour murmured.

Sham raised his arm, ready to meet Julya with the first strike. He took no pleasure in it—she had the accent of the Harbour District, after all—but at this point, if he had to hurt her to break the Loop, he would.

[FLEET OF FOOT] YOU GO HIGH, I GO LOW: FAIL

Whoops. Looks like Julya has you sussed.

But Julya didn’t hit him head on. At the last moment, she flung her legs out and dropped to the floor, sliding across the wet paving and under Sham’s flailing arm.

‘Fuck,’ he barked, and then turned on the spot to see Julya rushing inside.

Already the plan had gone awry. The intention was that Sham would tackle her outside, that he’d pull her vial-laden jacket from her torso, that Riot and Kryl would come into play only once they ensured that Julya could power up no more. She was strong already, of course, but the intention had been that she get no stronger.

Sham charged inside just in time to see Julya ambushed by a lantern-swinging Riot who had laid in wait behind one of the atrium’s many pillars. The metal cage of the lantern made a heavy contact with Julya, making a clang echo around the great room, and causing the Target herself to stumble backwards. This gave Sham just enough time to catch her up, and this time, he tackled her.

They rolled across the floor, fists flying at one another, but neither vigour-empowered fighter showing signs that these punches had hurt.

‘Yes! Good!’ Vigour was shouting inside Sham’s mind.

He caught at Julya’s jacket, meaning to pull her arm free of it, but found that his strength was enough that the jacket ripped before him.

FEAT OF STRENGTH (VIGOUR)

Ahahaha! Look at our strength. Look at what it can do. She should fear us.

The vials were revealed, and the jacket hung only from one of the Target’s arms.

Riot arrived at their side, weapon in hand, and Julya’s attention was split. She swung out one of her legs at Riot, causing her to topple.

Sham made a play to release the jacket from Julya’s other arm, but caught sight of her weapon in the process. Forsaking the vials, Sham went for the brass revolver and tossed it as far as he could—up the stairs that led into the upper atrium.

Julya wrenched herself free in the process, her jacket of vials hanging loosely from one arm and shoulder, but instead of hurrying for her weapon she launched herself at Riot. The two woman collided into the very pillar that Riot had been hidden behind, and it was Sham’s friend who took the brunt of the impact.

Sham watched as Riot wheezed, the air knocked out of her. As she staggered to her feet, Julya’s fist collided with her mouth, and Sham heard a worrying crunch even from his position a good few feet away. He launched himself at Julya, meaning to tackle her and wrench her from Riot, but the Target stepped backwards at the last minute. Sham, as a result, fell to the floor alone.

He hopped back onto his feet to charge after Julya, who was already climbing the stairs for her weapon. But with her jacket hanging at an awkward angle, she was slowed, and Sham managed to reach her moments before her outstretched hand could grab at her tossed revolver.

Sham pushed himself on top of her, held her arms to the floor, using his Vigour as well as gravity to his advantage.

Julya’s eyes widened. ‘You’re stronger now,’ she commented. ‘But you know I don’t come here without a Vigour skill already in my system.’ She wrenched her arms down, her strength matching Sham’s own, and it became a struggle to hold her still. Instead of reaching for the revolver, now, Sham felt her itching for those vials. They were close. But if she got more of those skills in her system, then this would all be for nothing. If the explosion came, then Sham would have to start all over again. He couldn’t handle that. Not again. Not again.

Vigour roared something in comprehensible in his mind. Something full of rage, if nothing else.

And Sham felt himself roaring too. Felt an anger spilling forth. Not just at Julya and her infinitely failing mission. But at the world. At society. At the damned fucking awful positions the gods had seen fit to put him in. At his illness. At losing Her.

FEAT OF STRENGTH (VIGOUR)

Yes, Sham. Channel that rage. Channel that fucking rage.

With his roar, his strength seemed to grow. He wrenched on Julya’s arms, his own trembling with sheer force, and pushed them back away from the jacket of vials.

‘You…’ Julya started, and then spared her breath, focusing instead on retrieving the vials.

But Sham had overpowered her. He ripped the jacket away, out of Julya’s reach, and sent it tumbling down the stairs. He heard none of the telltale sounds of glass shattering, though; the material of the clothing had shielded them. They came to a stop towards the end of the staircase, at the injured Riot’s feet.

‘Riot!’ Sham shouted. ‘Get them—’

An ear-piercing bang erupted at his side. Sham clutched at his ear, stumbling backwards, and found his eyes widen when he saw its source.

Julya gripped her weapon, pointed it squarely down the staircase. Pointed it squarely at Riot.

Sham’s friend looked down at her stomach. At the red patch swelling across her clothes. She touched at it, eyes wide, and then held out a blood-soaked hand for Julya and Sham to see. All she managed to say was a mumbled, ‘Oh,’ before collapsing and falling down the stairs.

Sham found himself gasping at the horror of the situation unfolding before him. And then he watched at Julya stood over him.

‘Is that it?’ she asked. ‘Is the fight over?’

Sham opened his mouth to speak, but found no words escape from it. Instead, he only nodded.

QUEST COMPLETE: SAVE KRYL, SAVE THE WORLD

When it comes to stopping the Target, surely two heads are better than one.

It wasn’t enough. They weren’t… Sham wasn’t strong enough. It was…

‘A deafened ear and you give up? Come on, Sham, I thought you tougher than that, now.’

In answer, Sham looked from Julya to Riot. From attacker to dead friend.

‘Ah,’ Julya replied. ‘I see. You stop me now and…’

‘She’s gone forever,’ Sham choked back.

The Target pressed her lips together—not in irritation, but in… pity? She ambled down the staircase to retrieve the vials, and then returned, crouching down at the side of Sham’s good ear. ‘Look, Sham. You want answers? You want to know why this has to happen? Come find me. At Lilac Cafe, in the Harbour District. You know it?’

Sham nodded numbly.

‘Good. Come find me there. Next Loop. On the eighth day, of course. After I’ve got my vials, cos I’m not taking any chances with you. Come find me… and I’ll tell you exactly why.’

Footsteps echoed at Sham’s left.

Both Julya and he turned their heads to see the new arrival. To see Kryl, at the top of the staircase, revolver in hand.

While Julya responded by pulling a vial free of her jacket and swigging it down in one, Sham responded by calling out, ‘No! Kryl, no! She’s dead. Riot’s dead.’

Kryl glanced only for a fraction of a second to Riot, not willing to let Julya out of his sight even for a moment.

And then he fired anyway.

This time, the pulling of a trigger wasn’t accompanied by a great boom that echoed around the Tower. This time, it was accompanied only with a soft click.

‘Fluke,’ Julya said. ‘The vial I just drank. Has the habit of…’ She gestured to Kryl’s jammed weapon. ‘Well, you know.’

Kryl tossed the revolver aside while Julya pulled another vial from her jacket, swigging from it. And then another. And another.

When Kryl charged at her, Sham closed his eyes.

And, in time, he let the light envelope him.