Chapter 178: Out Of The Box

Chapter 178: Out Of The Box

The others were already in the room where naked Yuqi lay in repose and Bao was doing his impression of a ghost coming out of the wall. By the time we got there, they had excavated Bao with Chengs help and he lay on the floor, shivering and shaking, covered in dust.

His clothes were ripped but his body looked in pretty good shape, all things considered. He was muttering like a madman and his eyes were rolling around like marbles in a goldfish bowl, but at least he wasnt wall-mounted anymore.

His body will heal in time, said Cheng, who took up most of the room. His mind may never recover.

I felt the same could be said about me.

The whole time travel thing didnt make sense on many levels. But what did seem obvious was that Yuqis position outside of time allowed her to fuck with everyone else. The solution, or at least the first step, was to drag her out of there and back into the here and now.

Give me your knife, I whispered to Jenny. She gave me a look, but handed over the dagger.

Are you going to do something stupid?

Mm hm, I said. Dont let David kill me. I didnt tell her how, she could work something out. I only needed a couple of seconds, I was sure she could distract him with her feminine wiles.

I skirted around where everyone was rubbernecking the scene of what looked like a nasty accidentthe whole wall would need replastering, which wouldnt be cheapand sidled closer to Yuqis defenceless body.Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

Davids head spun around, his beady eyes fixed on me. What are you doing? He stood up.

Me? Nothing. I raised the dagger and brought it down.

David sprang towards me. Jenny sprang towards him, shouting, Pile on! and rugby tackled him.

The others, without hesitation, piled on. David was buried under a sea of nerds.

She had used her wiles, and she was definitely feminine, but I wouldnt have guessed that was going to be her play. Or that the others would follow her lead so readily. Credit to them, though, it might not have been the most elegant of solutions, but it did the job.

The dagger sliced into Yuqis chest. If she died, she would be sent back in time, but she would also be forced back into her body. Hypothetically.

I wasnt a hundred percent sure this would work, but if Yuqi thought it was important she remain in a catatonic state, it made sense that bringing her out of it would thwart her plans. Since I didnt know how to wake her up, killing her seemed to be the next best option.

Or so youd think.

The blade entered Yuqis body easily enough, but nothing else happened. No blood, no blue liquid, no thwarting.

I reached out my hand placed it on her stomach, making sure not to touch the gravity-defying breasts (I could sense the eyes on me). It felt weird. Not like skin, but not altogether unfamiliar.

David threw the pile of geeks off and stumbled towards me. He stopped when he saw the dagger sticking out of her chest.

You murderer!

First of all, I said, you cant kill people here, especially not her. Second of all, this isnt Yuqi, its a golem. Or a body made out of the same stuff theyre made of. Its a fake Yuqi.

The problem with trying to fight someone who existed outside of time was that they knew what you were going to do and could take steps to stop you. Sidesteps.

By the way, what happened to 288 and the rest of the golems? I asked Cheng.

But how could she talk to him before she even arrived here? It doesnt make sense.

Paradox? I suggested.

No, said Maurice. I dont believe in them. But we can just ask her, cant we? He turned to David. You have the Codex. Call her up.

David took out the Codex. He seemed hesitant, as though he didnt really want to know. I could see why. It might completely change everything hed believed.

Maurice didnt wait for David to open the box, he grabbed it out of his hand. Gotcha, you little minx! He squeezed the box in his fist. Someone give me a knife.

We all stared at him.

What are you doing? said Claire.

This is her. This is Yuqi.

It didnt look like Yuqi. It looked like a small box.

Maurice shook his head. People die here to evolve their spirits or their souls or whatever, right? They do it enough times and they become ready for welding. They do it too much, they become weretics. How many times has Yuqi died? She must have lived a thousand lifetimes, flitting around in time.

But she jumps back into another body, I said.

Yes, time resets, but one thing doesnt, the time traveller. Her spirit, or whatever it is that gets transferred, that experiences change. Otherwise you wouldnt be able to remember what had happened, would you?

It made sense, kind of.

She must be a weretic by now. The most weretic weretic ever. You saw how they changed back out there. They can lose mass and leave behind that blue liquid. The same liquid she had you take back in time. I dont think this is a communication device. Its not the Jester youre talking to on long distance. Its her, talking to you herself.

No one rushed to agree with him.

We can prove it easily enough. Thats why I want the knife.

I pulled the dagger out of fake-Yuqis chest and handed it over.

As soon as he grabbed it, Maurices fist started shaking. The box began to change, morphing and stretching. He dropped the dagger and used both fists, one over the other, to keep a tight hold.

There was now a small, naked Yuqi in his hands. David! she called out in a tiny, shrill voice. The blue vial! Hurry!

David seemed as shocked as the rest of us, but snapped out of it and began searching his pockets. Then he was suddenly lifted off the ground as Cheng grabbed him by the back of his shirt. He hung there, flailing.

Little Yuqis head tilted back and she started moaning. Oh, youre touching my private parts, she said in a lewd voice.

Maurice looked horrified. He couldnt let go fast enough.

Yuqi fell from his open hand, but she didnt get far. Claires hand closed around her. She brought the hand up to her face. Lets see you try that shit with me.

She squeezed much harder than she strictly needed to and Yuqi screamed in frustration and Claire smiled. It was quite chilling.