"Who are you?" The words left his mouth before he had time to assess the situation. He didn't know whether it was a good or bad idea to approach such a woman. The woman, surprised, stood up, and Algodon realized she was armed. The weapon was curious. It looked like a pickaxe, but its make was protruding with the same crystalline structure, which he now had part of it in his arm and forehead. She was ready to strike but didn't. Something made her pause.
"You're that geminidi, the one whose pod landed here." She said, but she did not relax at the revelation.
"I know who I am, kind woman," Algodon said. "But I asked who you are."
"A local." She replied curtly.
Algodon could understand her caution, but it didn't make it any less irritating. He lifted his hand, the one with the crystalline structures, and pointed with his other hand toward her pickaxe.
"We both seem to have encountered something to have led us here, let's not waste time with formalities. Where is the obelisk?"
She had her brows raised and mouth agape. Her surprise only masked feigned ignorance. She must have known something. Algodon just had a feeling. When the woman did not respond, Algodon let out a low hum. He was hoping not to have to resort to violence, but he was too close to what could very well change the course of history.
"Woman, where is it?" His tone was warning.
"The obelisk which you seek is not here." She replied carefully. She held onto her weapon stiffly and reluctantly lowered it to her side.
"Then where?"
"I do not know." She said flatly. Algodon did not believe her, but he had no reason to harm her.
"Then answer me this; whose graves are these?"
"Two Dunestriders I once called friends. May the Symphony rest their songs." She lowered her voice and continued. "Stranger, who sent you?"
"No one." He answered truthfully. "The obelisk is why I'm here, surely you know what that means."
"I know enough that what you seek you will not find here." Algodon was growing impatient. He took a step forward. The woman raised her pickaxe. He grabbed at it, but the woman was quicker. She was behind him in an instant, then he felt it.
He looked down and saw the crystalline axe through his chest. He felt a burst of magma from his core flow out, and when he turned to face her, the woman was gone.
His head began resonating with a pulse he could not place. All around him were flashes of light and symphonies that he had never heard before. Then darkness came, and he knew no more.
–
Sio woke up distressed. Something had happened overnight she was certain. But in the morning when she was greeted by Laura's family everything seemed fine. She thought hard about what it could be, she felt this dread before back in the mines. Nothing came to mind. She mentioned it to Laura over breakfast and Laura suggested they visit Auburn to ease her mind, it must have been her worry over his health. They made for the clinic only to find a commotion with Otheyo, Tomak, Auburn and Dr. Tausidi outside.
"He's been gone for hours." Said Dr. Tausidi to Tomak.
"He's not been to the mines." Added Otheyo.
"The data must had held a location for him to go to." Offered Auburn, but Otheyo shook his head.
"I checked every line and every image, there was nothing." Otheyo scratched at the back of his head. Then noticing Laura and Sio nudged at Tomak who was deep in thought. Tomak looked up at them and nodded, a small acknowledgment of their arrival. He continued pondering whatever puzzle was in his head before making a statement.
"Sio," Dr. Tausidi said, looking at the girl. "Did Algodon ever hint that he was headed somewhere when he was talking with you?"
Sio shook her head. Algodon was missing? That must have been why she felt such dread, but why? Surely nothing happened to him.
Ringing filled Sio's ears for some reason, and she looked around to where it was coming from. Finding nothing, she tugged at Laura's sleeve. Laura knelt next to Sio and steadied her shoulders.
"It's happening again." She said. Laura lead her over to the steps into the clinic and sat her down.
"What is Sio?" She asked. Dr. Tausidi moved to Sio's side.
"Is it the ringing?" the doctor asked. Sio nodded, covering her ears. She started seeing images of a tall figure walking toward them on the horizon. She pointed to the edge of town.
"Something's coming," Sio said weakly. Dr. Tausidi and Laura looked at one another and then toward where Sio pointed, and surely, a figure was approaching them.
"Algodon!" Exclaimed Auburn. His voice was shrill, much unlike the stoic man. He moved quickly toward the figure and Otheyo followed. Sio's vision cleared enough to see why they were rushing to him. He was nearly unrecognizable, prismatic crystals potruded out of his chest in the front and the back there was a pickaxe lodged inbetween his shoulders. Magma was dripping from his wound. Otheyo grabbed one side of Algodon while Auburn carried the other they were careful not to let the magma touch them. Dr. Tausidi wasted no time meeting the three men and led them up the stairs into the clinic and then down the corridor toward an operating room.
"Sit him down on the table!" barked the doctor. The two men obeyed and situated the geminidi on the operating table as Dr. Tausidi instructed. Laura stopped Sio and Tomak from entering the operating room.
"Let the doctor work!" She said as she ushered Sio and Tomak to another observation room adjacent to the operating room. They watched as Dr. Tausidi instructed the two men holding Algodon and turned as Laura entered. Like a well-oiled machine, Laura and Dr. Tausidi began equipping heat-resistant gloves atop their shell suits and handed the men shielding to cover them from any stray magma.
Dr. Tausidi grabbed a tool from the side cabinet and began cutting at the crystals encasing the pickaxe. Laura walked to the observation wall and pressed a button on the other side, closing the shutters. Sio and Tomak could no longer see or hear the operation.
All the while Sio heard the Symphony playing a resounding melody.