The writer gives life to a story, the reader keeps it alive.
Alexand shows Anya to her room, although it is mid-day to the ex- Haernyara, who paces back downstairs to explore the mansion. Anya is not the first enemy slave that Alexand and Katherine have helped rehabilitate, but she is the most significant so far, in terms of affecting Alexand’s own past life. (For Tori. Thank you for taking me to the other side of the galaxy.)
The Guild Master’s General has had the audacity to take Katherine with him on the very same cart ride that Alexand’s father is on. Neither of them is phased out of focus and are corporeal. The Guild Masters General has replaced his balaclava with a Stetson hat, and his sunglasses have clear lenses, so they look like ordinary glasses. They are both a few seats behind Eric Mehmed. Thankfully Eric doesn’t recognise Katherine as they had never met, although Alexand told her father a lot about the woman she fell in love with, so Katherine has insisted that the Guild Master’s General call her by her middle name, Anastasia.
The Guild Masters General takes Katherine to Alexand’s father’s house, before his death, where Eric Mehmed has just finished reading a letter, informing him that his daughter has sustained life altering injuries to her fingers. (3987)
Alexand managed to persuade Doctor Azizi to disconnect her from the wires, and remove the sedative drugs. He has hooked her up to a mobile drip, which feeds Katherine’s inhibitor into her bloodstream at regular intervals. Her Uncle Antun helps her into the living room.
As they walk the corridor, the guard begins talking about the Amanojuko proposals for the new world order, making Heyem shiver with the horror of it. (Thank you to Siddiqui Fayesal for interviewing me. You can see the first part of the Interview with a writer, on his website, “Ho Hum… Well we’re going to die anyway!“)
After promising Alex that she would help find the cause of her haunting, (See Baio-Yujia’s Ghost Part 2) Katherine had collected a film recorder from her own room. She and Alexand are now in Alex’s room preparing to ‘capture’ the Ghost of Baio-Yujia Sun. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
Katherine finally relented to Alexand’s charm. (See Love In A Box Part 1) The morning after, Alex is asleep, and Katherine lies, wondering about their future. Note: Katherine was injected with a virus, by Helga Ritter, to silence her (See Amanojuko Part 3) after discovering a government induced plague, was genetically engineered and that some members of the establishment are attempting to live forever. As a result of being injected with “plague” Katherine is dying. CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
After returning back to Saskatoon military base, from her father’s funeral, Alexand Merek ponders her future. She lost the fingers on her right hand when a man in a balaclava sliced them off, (See The Guild Master’s General Part 1) She sits redundantly by the piano in the entertainment bar, wondering how she will ever play again. (Also featured in this story, is Alexand’s close friend and superior officer, Katherine De Somme) CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
Juba Apfvarzian needs to forget his past. He spends a lot of time taking drugs and drinking with his best friend and fellow drunk Alexand Merek. They met decades ago on a floating asylum ship for the criminally insane. Juba had a wife, Lucy and a son, Ayo, before he went to the asylum. When he was released, he discovered that they had both died of influenza, and he was alone. He and Alexand met up again after her release and discovered that they had a lot in common. Alexand had also lost her wife, Katherine to an unknown virus and her husband Jarad to an unbeatable war. Her son, Sam and daughter, Anastasia had been stolen when they were children. Alexand’s surviving daughter Ancille has grown up and Alexand and Juba spend a lot of their lives trying to run away from bad things. This is one of those days. (A Spanish version is now available to read, translated by Hernán Jara Droguett.) CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
This story is set seven months before issue # 1: Alexand Merek, (a week after her release from an asylum). Samuel Merevija is only four years old. His mother was taken from him and his father when he was a baby, but now she has been brought back to their family home, after spending four years in a floating asylum ship. Samuel doesn’t understand why his mother won’t speak. He has made some special things for her to try and bring her back to his world. (Characters from left to right are: Samuel Merevija, Jarad Vijay and Alexand Merek). (A Spanish translation is now available, by Hernán Jara Droguett.) CLICK HERE for next chronological story.
Images, story and characters, © Cheryl Moore