From Nothing


    The conservatively dressed newscaster, with her unmoving short-cropped hair, starts speaking. "In the wake of the San Jose town hall meeting, the public attitude towards outworlders has shifted. Many are now concerned that the outworlders are bringing their conflicts and problems to our own iteration. More optimistic members of the public point out that the outworlders confronted and defeated the outworld being that killed Councilman Bernard Hill and that perhaps hiring super-powered outworlders into the police forces would be a solution to the problem. A group calling itself the World Defense Army has released a short video on YouTube, stating that the attack was staged and that the outworlders are going to subjugate us. Public debate continues. In other news, a Florida man was indicted today on charges of..."

    Aurelia finishes showing the ghostly form of Orania Wintros the videos on her smart phone. First had been the news camera coverage of the town hall meeting, illustrating the events for the dead Atlantean. The next few are news reports and YouTube video commentary. Orania's face is still in contemplation, digesting the information and thinking.
    "So this device can playback any event?"
    Aurelia makes an annoyed sound. "How many times have I got to tell you? It's called a smart phone, it's hooked up to the internet. The internet has lots of things on it." Aurelia takes a moment to go back to the meeting video, pausing it on a frame when the shadowy thing that emerged from the councilman. "Now what in the hell was that thing?"
    Orania's face darkens into a disgusted look. "Extros ex nihl."
    Aurelia rolls her eyes. "And for those of us who don't speak a dead language?"
    "Enemy From The Void. Created by powerful spirit magic. Modern religion names them demons. Dark spirits fashioned from the dark places of the soul. Very unnatural." Orania's face wrinkles at this last. It was sometimes difficult for the ghost to remember things from life. Being dead for millennia longer than one was alive has a detrimental effect on one's memories of life.
    "And that means...?" Aurelia tries to lead the ghost into explaining the implications.
    Orania looks up from the phone's screen at Aurelia, suddenly looking like she's in the present instead of lost in memory. "Somebody is playing with fire. Extros can break free of creator's control."