The Alternate Diaries of Cordelia Chan

Scramento : 15^th January 2004

It's seems I've been successful in disuading the local lawless elements, and the more disreputable members of the local police from bothing us as its been a quiet day, which is just as well after last night.
I had been out on patrol as usual, and was about to return home, when I heard a clock strike and the world froze, well everything except me that is. It is interesting, if disconcerting to walk past a flame to see it in hues of grey fixed in space rather than flickering. If the family is right and Brand is on the loose and this is his doing then I'm not sure how long we can survive.

I'm not sure how long the world remained frozen, but I guess I'd covered another three of four miles by the time I heard the striking clock again. I can't be sure but it sounded like it struck thirteen times, which isn't possible.

Scramento : 16^th January 2004

I nearly didn't write anything tonight, but I've got into the habit, and the pain killers are now starting to work. Perhaps I should rephrase that, I nearly wasn't here to write this tonight.

It all started about 11:45 last night. I'd been out early to collect some fresh supplies, and had been cut off by a hoard of demons that seemed to appear from no where. I'd downed a couple of them with the plasma rifle, but had been forced to retreat and take a roundabout route back to the condo. As I neared the house I knew something was wrong, and had barely avoid the leap of the first demon. As I continued to roll, I spotted two more, and was able to forestall their charge with a blast from the rifle, although not without blowing a hole in the condo wall. The fourth one, I didn't see until it was too late, and could do little more than roll with the impact of its attack. I felt the heat as it absorbed the point blank plasma blast but its claws did little more than scratch the armour.

I shrugged the crisped body off and "blinked" into the hole I'd made, dropping the first one with another Plasma blast and inflicting more damage on the condo. I checked the magazine, two shots left. As I fired again, catching one of the pair who'd charged me, there was a crashing sound from the back of the condo.
I'd got to the living room about the same time as they did, catching one dead center with the remaining plasma blast. As he sailed through the air, igniting broken furniture the world went gray and my troubles really began.

I'm not sure which of us was more surprised, but I managed to recover first, and leapt over the now frozen demon, as the razor edged tail of this new monstrosity swished though the air I'd just vacated. What ever it was this was something new. Unlike every thing else in this grey world it was dully coloured and covered in bone spikes and ridges. Its talons and claws looked exceedingly sharp. As I flipped the plasma rifle to the floor and drew my sword the tail flashed again splitting the frozen demon I was using for cover like a log. I blinked in behind it and struck.

It is considered a virtue to know when you're out of your depth, and my years of training had taught me to recognise all the signs. As the sword barely bit into its hide and it turned clubbing me with its shoulder I knew I was out of mine.

The next few minutes I did little more than retreat and stay out of its way. It seemed to speak several times, and I found myself having to ignore wracking pains, attempts to disrupt my concentration, and waves of fear. As its mental assaults appeared to be having little affect on me it gave up and set about trying physically rip me apart. I tried the blink attack again, and was able to hamstring it, taking a slash to my left side in the process, although I guessed of the two of us it had come off worse. We settled to circling each other again, and I now realised it was waiting for me to tire. With this realization came an idea, it was time to determine how good it was at reading exactly how tired I was. As the minutes passed I let it close on me, slowed my responses to its attacks, and took a number of minor scratches on the armour. As it score more hits its confidence grew and its guard dropped.

When its killing attack came it did so with lightening speed, for it spoke a word different from those it had used previously, just before it struck. Had I not been prepared, its tail would have gutted me, as it was it slashed down my left leg, cleaving the armour, and striking to the bone. The pain was excruciating, and I was barely able to stay conscious. Then I was hit, as if by a truck, and I felt the sword bite deep, as it was wrenched from my faltering grip. There was a second impact, this time with the floor, and I was momentarily winded. I fought the fogginess enveloping me, and tried to do something about staunching the blood running down my leg. Whilst the wound was severe, it was not immediately life threatening, I focused and slowed the bleeding to a trickle.

The world was still gray, when I returned my attention to my surroundings. A couple of feet away I could see the point of the sword protruding from the back of the creature. I had been intending to strike through the neck, but the slash from the tail had caused me to waver. I counted my self lucky to have managed a killing blow. I dragged myself over to the corpse, for I was unable to put any weight on my leg, and with some effort managed to roll it onto its side. I was then able to pull against my good leg and extract the sword. With the sword back in the scabbard, I set about retrieving the plasma rifle.

I had barely changed the clip when the world returned to full colour, and I was showered with blood as the two halves of the demon collapsed to the floor. At least I only had one still to deal with, even if I could now feel the heat from the fires that the plasma balls had started.

The problem with sitting on the floor is that your view is limited and you can't shoot as accurately, thus it took me two attempts to nail the remaining demon. Exhausted, I slithered down the steps to the hurricane shelter.

Uninvited Guests : 17^th January 2004

I woke at midday, much to the consternation of Vialle, who'd had to struggle around the cramped shelter, even though I suspected she knew exactly where every thing was by now. In the cold light of day I could see and feel how lucky I had been last night. My leg was stiff, and sore, and it took a good half hour of trance meditation, to bring it into a reasonably mobile state. Now able to stand I found the first aid kit and changed the bandages, giving Vialle a blow by blow account of the my nights activities. The armour I had been wearing was in severe need of repair, something that would have to wait, forcing me to dig out the spare suit.

With armour donned, I went upstairs to determine what was left of the condo. It was not as bad as I had feared, and still offered a degree of cover and protection. I pulled the binoculars and scanned the neighbor hood. Nothing untoward attracted my attention and I returned to the shelter.

Based on my experiences of the previous two nights, I chose to remain in the shelter, on the basis that if the door was closed and frozen nothing would be able to get in. I hadn't banked upon the appearance of a Logrus tendril, let alone one which seemed to be aimed at me. All I can say is that I'm glad Fiona had made us do those pattern defense exercises, although at the time I felt it was somewhat pointless. What none of my teachers to this point had demonstrated was what happens when a Logrus Tendril contacts the Pattern. The blue flash, and yes both the tendril and the explosion had colour in the gray world, as the tendril hit the pattern before me, slammed me across the shelter and into the wall, disrupting both, and driving a mental spike through my brain.

It was twenty minutes or so later, close to what I estimated was the end of the grey time, that I felt the power surge again, for I now recognised it for what it was. This time there were three tendrils each bearing a person. As I readied the pattern shield and the plasma rifle, which I hoped I'd not have to use as Vialle wasn't in armour, the tendrils dropped their cargo, and winked out, just as the world resolved itself into its normal state.

The pattern has many uses, and from the little I know, each use requires a subtly different structure, thus whilst I had the pattern to mind I had built it into a physical shield, rather than an inspection lens, which would have been more useful at this juncture. I withdrew my concentration and let it fade.
Of the three, one was male and a warrior of some description, and the other two female. All were of unknown powers. I held the rifle level and asked them who they were, and who'd sent them.

My initial response to their replies was one of complete disbelief, but no matter what questions I threw at them the replies were consistently unbelievable, and given to my experiences of the last six months, this meant either they had all been skillfully brainwashed, or within the realms of what they believed to be true they were telling the truth.
Their story for what its worth is that they were yanked out of the shadows they knew by Logrus tendrils and taken to a tower where they spoke to an entity which called itself Dierdre. There they were told some highball story about getting the horn off the unicorn, repairing the pattern, raising a phoenix, and generally putting things to rights, the instructions for which are all conveniently written down in a book. They were then sent here because I'd been able to block the tendril sent for me. The reason why they and I were picked it seems, is that we are grandchildren of Oberon, yet they know nothing of Amber, Shadow, reality, and were as bewildered at being here as I was pissed off at their arrival.

In the circumstances I had two choices, shoot they or let them stay. Despite the headache that had developed as a result of the Logrus strike, my instincts told me they there were elements of truth in their stories and that they were of no immediate threat. There was only one way to find out. I lowered the rifle, announced that they were on guard duty, climbed out of my armour, and went to sleep.