THE MOMENT
Two shadowy figures prowled the cemetery under a dark, moonless night. One, in ragged leather scraps carrying a shovel and the other in a fine silk black and green robe carrying an enchanted tome. They followed a sickly green light produced by the necromancer to guide them to the proper grave, but they traveled in silence. The partners weren't friends, nor associates; they were only there for one reason. Neither had any reason to make small talk.
After a bit of wandering, they stopped at a headstone - 'Don Luciano'. Ol' Lucci was once a mafia kingpin before his family was taken over. But everyone knew he had secrets squirreled away. Wordlessly, the digger began his work while the necromancer began making his own arrangements.
He drew symbols in the dirt that only necromancers would recognize and then lit a half dozen candles around himself while the digger moved more and more dirt with ease. Finally a hollow thud as the digger struck a casket. He was shoulder deep in the re-dug grave and looked up at the necromancer. The spellcaster nodded he was ready and the digger brushed off the last of the dirt with his bare hands.
He cleared it, and open the top half with a nod at the necromancer, and he began chanting. Unbeknownst to both of them, a new voice filled the scene.
“Whoever coined the phrase ‘Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead’ obviously did not anticipate necromancers.” Helios, a faceless golden mannequin in a crimson silk suit stepped into view as the camera pulled out to reveal the chanting necromancer on a television screen.
Helios stood in an empty white room with only a flat screen TV playing the graveyard moment. On screen, the necromancer's spell reached its climax enveloping him and filling the grave. The digger scurried out as moans and groans began sounding from inside.
Suddenly, Don Luciano's corpse sat upright with dead, glassy eyes. The camera zoomed in on an ethereal red metal band obscuring his mouth and preventing him from talking.
“Fortunately, Sharp Development has! For all your secrets buried with you, make sure they stay that way with a soul-gag from Sharp Development! Don't let unscrupulous necromancers compel your defenseless loved ones, or yourself, after you've gone to the grave!”
The graveyard scene and television dissolved into dust leaving Helios alone on a white, empty background.
“Genius, right?” He asked his audience of one. “You wanted more uses for Red Iron and, I've got plenty more. Look at this one-”
He was about to create another pitch, but Bijou shook her head at the display where Helios stood. He was an A. I. and preferred to stay contained behind a screen.
“I don't need to approve each one. The point is to flood the market, so go ahead and do them all.”
“Wait… really? You're not even gonna check what they are?” Helios asked.
“It doesn't matter, just get it into as many hands as possible,” she said.
“Oh, I'm so on that, boss!” Helios chuckled. He dissolved, then the display went black as he dropped one final line for her benefit. “Who says you can't save the universe and have a ball doing it?”
