Chapter Text
"A friendly desert community where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful, and mysterious lights pass overhead while we all pretend to sleep. Welcome to Waset."
The first time Yugi ever heard that voice, it was over a radio broadcast in the middle of nowhere. He and his team of archaeologists were on their way to a small desert community to investigate the strange happenings that occurred there. That smooth, velvety voice sounded like how dark chocolate tastes. Warm and rich, it soothed him down to his very soul, and once or twice he almost fell asleep on the drive over.
Hushing his crew, who were currently bickering in the back seat of the van like children, he turned the volume up a tad and rolled up the window. The breeze felt divine, but he wanted to hear more of that voice. There was a brief pause and a shuffling of notes before the sultry baritone voice returned.
"Hello listeners. To start things off, I've been asked to read this brief notice: the Pharaoh's Council announces the opening of a new dog park at the corner of Earl and Summerset near the Ralph's. They would like to remind everyone that dogs are not allowed in the dog park. People are not allowed in the dog park. It is possible you will see hooded figures in the dog park. Do not approach them. Do not approach the dog park. The fence is electrified and highly dangerous. Try not to look at the dog park, and especially do not look for any period of time at the hooded figures. The dog park will not harm you."
Well, that wasn't ominous at all. Especially coupled with the music paying in the background. He'd heard of the Pharaoh before, everyone had. He was supposed to be some kind of savior to the people of Egypt. If Yugi was lucky, he would get to meet this mysterious man. No one even knew what he sounded like, as no one in living memory had ever heard him speak. His advisers spoke on his behalf, and it was rumored that he rarely ever left the palace grounds.
"And now, the news."
In no time at all, they were rolling into town and unpacking their equipment from the van. They had rented a small lab, next to a burger joint of all things. It seems as though the layout of the town had no rhyme or reason to it, and Yugi wondered if he hadn't just set foot into the Twilight Zone.
The first thing he did was get their portable radio set up in the main room. Yugi didn't want to miss a second of the broadcast. He and his team were slated to stay for quite some time, so they may as well immerse themselves in the strange culture.
"Old Woman Cyndia out near the car lot says the angels revealed themselves to her; said they were ten feet tall, radiant, and one of them was black; said they helped her with various household chores. One of them changed a light bulb for her, the porch light. She's offering to sell the old light bulb, which has been touched by an angel. It was the black angel, if that sweetens the pot for anyone. If you're interested, contact Old Woman Cyndia. She's out near the car lot."
Angels? Did he really expect anyone to believe in that nonsense? The next words to emanate from the radio caused the entire team to freeze in their tracks, every head swiveling Yugi's way. A moment of silence reigned before laughter erupted. Yugi got the feeling he was being conned somehow.
"A new man came into town today. Who is he? What does he want from us? Why his perfect and beautiful haircut? Why his perfect and beautiful coat? He says he is an archaeologist. Well, we have all been archaeologists and one point or another in our lives. But why now? Why here, and just what does he plan to do with all those breakers and humming electrical instruments in that lab he is renting—the one next to Burger World? No one does a burger like Big Duke. No one."
Apparently, they were already the talk of the town, and they'd barely been there for a half hour! Yugi fumed, flushed to the tips of his ears and stomped off, intending to take a walk around town to cool his head. Who was this random stranger to talk about him like that? Someone must have told the radio jockey about their arrival, it was the only explanation. He had no idea what he'd walked into, but the flustered young archaeologist was going to do something to preserve his reputation in this town. That didn't stop the other members of his team from continuing to listen, however.
"Just a reminder to all the parents out there. Let's talk about safety when taking your children out to play in the Scrub Lands and the Sand Wastes. You need to give them plenty of water, make sure there's a shade tree in the area, and keep an eye on the helicopter colors. Are the unmarked helicopters circling the area black? Probably World Government. Not a good area for play that day. Are they blue? That's the Pharaoh's Secret Police. They'll keep a good eye on your kids, and hardly ever take one. Are they painted with complex murals depicting birds of prey diving? No one knows what those helicopters are, or what they want. Do not play in the area. Return to your home, and lock the doors until a Pharaoh's Secret Policeman leaves a lotus blossom on your porch to indicate that the danger has passed. Cover your ears to blot out the screams. Also, remember: Gatorade is basically soda, so give your kids plain old water, and maybe some orange slices when they play."
When Yugi had calmed down enough, he returned to the lab, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets. If one didn't know any better, you would think he was sulking. He didn't take compliments well, it was just something he'd always had trouble with. He'd never believed himself to be anything special, but he almost believed that lovely baritone voice when he'd complimented his hair like it was nothing, like it was something he did every day. Definitely not sulking, Yugi returned to work, barking orders with more bravado than he actually felt. Trepidation clinging to him like a second skin, he continued to listen to the radio broadcast despite his better judgement.
"A Nile River crocodile, one of the tame ones with a jeweled collar, disappeared today, only to reappear in the Waset Elementary gymnasium during handball practice, disrupting practice quite badly. The crocodile sauntered through the small gym for only a fraction of a second, and before it could strike any players or structure, it vanished again, this time apparently for good. There is no word yet on if or how this will affect Waset Lion's game schedule, and also, if this could perhaps be the work of their bitter rivals the Domino City Cacti. Domino City is always trying to show us up through fancier uniforms, better pregame snacks, and possibly, by transporting a tame Nile River crocodile into our gymnasium, delaying practice for several minutes at least. For shame, Domino City. For shame."
"All right, that's it!" Yugi exclaimed, slamming down the pencil he was using to take notes and nearly snapping it in half in the process.
"What's it?" His fellow scientist, one by the name of Yusei Fudo, asked. He'd been testing the equipment's functions and hardly paying attention to his surroundings, completely tuning out the voice coming from the radio in the center of the room.
"I'm calling a town meeting. This is just too creepy, there is absolutely no way this broadcast is legitimate."
In truth, he was still weirded out by the earlier compliments paid to him by the mysterious radio host. He was an archaeologist, he didn't believe in the nonsense this man was spouting.
An hour later, he was standing in front of what looked like all of Waset, wiping the sweat from his brow and stepping down from the dais. An elderly woman with wavy, greying blonde hair offered him a corn muffin. Not wanting to appear rude on his first day in town, he took it, thanking the old woman with a soft smile. It wasn't too bad, he supposed. Could use more salt, though. Yugi could swear he saw giant, incorporeal shapes hovering around her. He shook his head, watching her walk away to offer Yusei a muffin. Angels, pah! There were no such things.
He and his team returned to the lab in better spirits, having stopped by the restaurant next door to grab a burger. Who knew a small town in the middle of nowhere had such great burgers and fries? Yugi devoured his share eagerly, savoring the familiar taste. The radio in the center of the room was still broadcasting. Someone must have forgotten to turn the damned thing off before they left. He shrugged, thinking nothing of it, and was about tune the voice out altogether, but the next words out of the radio host's mouth shut down all coherent thought.
"That new archaeologist we now know is named Yugi called a town meeting. He has a soft, round jaw and teeth like a military cemetery. His hair is perfect, and we all hate and despair and love that perfect hair in equal measure. Old Woman Cyndia brought corn muffins, which were decent, but lacked salt. She said the angels had taken her salt for a godly mission, and she hadn't yet gotten around to buying more."
'Oh, my god..' Yugi thought, mouth agape and staring incredulously at the radio. He remembered thinking something along those lines not even half an hour ago! He kept listening, sure this was all one huge joke that the entire town had cooked up for their arrival.
"Yugi told us that we are, by far, the most scientifically interesting community in Kemet, and he had come to study just what is going on around here."
It was true, almost verbatim. This guy had to have been at the town meeting, there was no other explanation. Surely someone with such a voice would stand out in a crowd like that, right? He would be able to look at this person, and just know it was the same, velvety voice still issuing from the radio.
"He grinned, and everything about him was perfect, and I fell in love instantly. Government agents from a vague, yet menacing, agency were in the back watching. I fear for Yugi. I fear for Waset. I fear for anyone caught between what they know and what they don't yet know that they don't know."
French fry halfway to his mouth, it slipped from his fingers to land on top of his notes. Another round of snickers broke out, but Yugi ignored them. This stranger, with the voice of a god, thought he was perfect? A loud whistle from the back of the room broke the young archaeologist from his embarrassed musings.
"Yo, Yug'! This guy's totally got the hots for ya!"
Yes, he'd assumed as much, as he'd just announced that fact to the entire town, and then some. There was no avoiding this, was there? Completely forgetting his notes, and the rest of his food, Yugi focused all of his attention on the radio broadcast, even scooting his chair closer to the table it sat on, just so he wouldn't miss a single second.
"Yes, Joey, I'm aware. Now shush! Back to work! Shoo!"
He waved his friend off, who couldn't resist a final jab in the form of stealing the rest of Yugi's french fries and scarfing them down as though it was his last meal on earth. That was fine, he was full now anyway.
"We received a press release this morning. The Waset Business Association is proud to announce the opening of the brand new Waset Harbor and Waterfront Recreation Area. I have been to these facilities myself recently on their invitation, and I can tell you that it is absolutely top of the line and beautiful. Sturdy docking areas made from eco-friendly post-consumer material, a boardwalk for pedestrians, and plenty of stands ready for local food vendors and merchants to turn into a bustling public marketplace. Now, there is some concern about the fact that, given we are in the middle of a desert, there is no actual water at the waterfront—and that is a definite drawback, I agree. For instance, the boardwalk is currently overlooking cacti and rocks. The Business Association did not provide any specific remedies for this problem, but they assured me that the new harbor would be a big boost to Waset nonetheless. Maybe wait until a flash flood and head down there for the full waterfront experience."
There was a distinct pause on the other end of the broadcast as the music played softly in the background. A clinking sound met his ears, and Yugi assumed the man was drinking tea. That was definitely the clink of a cup and saucer, it had to be.
"The local chapter of the WRA is selling bumper stickers as part of their fundraising week. They sent the station one to get some publicity, and we're here to serve the community so I'm happy to let you all know about it. The stickers are made from good, sturdy papyrus, and they read, 'Swords Don't Kill People; It's Impossible To Be Killed By A Sword; We Are All Invincible To Weapons And It's A Miracle.' Stand outside of your front door and shout, "WRA," to order one."
Regrettably, there was work to be done around the community; that's what they came here to do after all. With a heavy sigh, Yugi got some of his team together and, lugging some of their equipment along, made their way around the back of the old elementary school. There were rumors circling of a disappearing house, and it was up to them to uncover the truth.
Almost two hours and a dozen experiments later, Yugi and his team trudged back to the lab, comparing results and chugging bottled water as if their life depended on it. It was obscenely hot, and there was no way Yugi was going to bed without a shower first. Amazingly, one of his subordinates had reported that as soon as they left, the radio broadcast simply stopped, and nothing they did could bring it back. The second they got situated, the music returned, and along with it, that voice of dark chocolate. It sounded how coffee smelled, and it lulled Yugi nearly to sleep. He didn't realize how much he missed that voice, and now he was determined to listen the whole way through.
"Yugi and his team of archaeologists warn that one of the houses in the new development of Desert Creek, out back of the old elementary school, doesn't actually exist. It seems like it exists, explained Yugi and his perfect hair, like it's just right there when you look at it. And it's between two identical houses, so it would make more sense for it to be there then not. But, he says, they have done experiments, and the house is definitely not there. At news time, the archaeologists are standing in a group in front of the nonexistent house, daring each other to go knock on the door."
He wasn't even surprised anymore. Sure, there had been some towns people that had come to observe the goings on, but none had that mesmerizing voice. Yugi would have blushed and fallen over himself had that been the case. In the end, only Jaden, the intern, had been brave enough to knock on the door of the house. He still had that hardened look in his eyes after he'd returned. There was something very different about him now, and Yugi wished he'd been able to stop the poor boy.
"A great howling was heard from the Waset Post Office yesterday. Postal workers claim no knowledge, although passersby described the sound as being a little like a human soul being destroyed through black magic. The Dinosaur Tracker—now, I don't know if you've seen this guy around; he's the one who appears to be of maybe Slavic origin, yet wears a dinosaur skull out of some racist cartoon and claims to be able to be able to read tracks on stone—he appeared on the scene, and swore that he would discover the truth. No one responded because it's really hard to take him seriously in that skull of his."
None of his team had seen or heard of this guy, but he sounded like one of those idiots who claimed to have magic powers, and Yugi wouldn't be surprised if he showed up one day to interfere with their research. Speaking of, Yugi snapped himself out of it, returning to his work, and making sure everyone else was doing the same. The music changed tack, shifting to something more orchestral in nature.
"Lights, seen in the sky above the Arby's. Not the glowing sign of Arby's; something higher and beyond that. We know the difference. We've caught onto their game. We understand the lights-above-Arby's game. Invaders from another world. Ladies and gentlemen, the future is here, and it's about a hundred feet above the Arby's."
First angels, and now he was saying that aliens existed, too? At this point, Yugi was starting to believe that anything was possible in this strange desert town. After getting himself and his team together a short while later, they made their way out to the monitoring station near Route 800 to monitor the seismic activity around the area. The results were impossible, yet they kept staring Yugi in the face. How were they supposed to research and conduct a dig site with the earth shifting so swiftly according to the results? After ten long minutes of tugging on his bleached blonde bangs and shouting obscenities at any unsuspecting scrap of earth, Yugi threw his hands into the air and recalled his team back to the lab, muttering about "supernatural bullshit" the whole ride back.
The second Yugi and his team returned from their outing, the voice of crushed velvet was waiting, wasting no time in picking back up from where it left off.
"Yugi and his archaeologists at the monitoring station near Route 800 say their seismic monitors have been indicating wild seismic shifts, meaning to say that the ground should be going up all over the place. I don't know about you folks, but the ground has been as still as the crust of a tiny globe rocketing through an endless void could be. Yugi says that they've double-checked the monitors and they are in perfect working order. To put it plainly, there appears to be catastrophic earthquakes happening right here in Waset that absolutely no one can feel. Well, plead for an audience with the Pharaoh anyway, see what you can get, right?"
Yugi snorted, shuffling his notes into a relatively neat pile. As far as he knew, no one got a direct audience with the Pharaoh. It was always the Pharaoh accompanied by the entire Qenbet, plus their servants. Then again, he trusted rumors about as much as he trusted their stupid equipment right now.
"Traffic time, listeners. Now, the medjai are issuing warnings about ghost chariots out on the highways, those chariots only visible in the distance, reaching unimaginable speeds, leaving destinations unknown for destinations more unknown. They would like to remind you that you should not set your speed by these aberrations, and doing so will not be considered following the flow of traffic. However, they do say that it's probably safe to match speed with the mysterious lights in the sky, as whatever entities or organization is responsible appear to be cautious and reasonable drivers."
"Ha! That'll be the day." Joey scoffed, angrily erasing something on the blackboard in the back. Yugi seconded the sentiment and shushed him anyway.
"And now, the weather."
Apparently "the weather" was someone playing what sounded like a guitar and singing a rather random, nonsensical song that was a bit dark for the happy tone emanating from the radio.
Yusei groaned loudly, threatening to turn the damn thing off. Yugi threatened him with bodily harm if he so much as touched the dial. Yusei promptly returned to work.
"Welcome back, listeners."
Jaden chose that moment to remind his boss of their next scheduled experiment. Yugi was tempted to forego it entirely, when Yusei pointed out of one of their only windows, muttering about the sunset. Yugi didn't think it was such a big deal. You see one sunset, you've seen them all. Then he actually looked out the window. The sun hadn't set yet. According to the weather report on his phone, the sun was scheduled to set exactly ten minutes ago. Normally, that wasn't a big deal, but this was Waset, Yugi reminded himself. The strangest things happened here, and he belatedly realized that electronic results of any kind were unreliable at best, and absolute indecipherable garbage at worst.
Yugi decided to take matters into his own hands. They were going to pay a visit to the sundial in the town square.
Ten minutes later, the sun had finally kissed the sand dunes proper. Yugi and his team of archaeologists sat around the sundial, staring at it and praying it would do its job of keeping time. Some of the townsfolk looked on, but one man actually approached. Gold dripped from his sun-kissed frame, bringing out the fire in the cold depths of his wine red eyes. Yugi sat frozen in place, unable to move.
'Oh gods, he's gorgeous' was the first thought that reared its ugly head. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Yugi stood to greet the auburn-haired stranger, whose bangs were streaked with gold and almost resembled his own. The stranger spoke not a word, preferring to use some form of sign language to communicate. Yugi barely understood a word, but that didn't stop them from holding a conversation. He wished he had something more concrete to offer the man, who refused to give his name, but judging by his clothing and amount of jewelry he wore, he was someone very important; possibly close to the Pharaoh. Yugi returned to his lab in high spirits, that wonderful voice waiting for their return, or so it was assumed.
"The sun didn't set at the correct time today, Yugi and his team of archaeologists report. They are quite certain about it. They checked multiple sundials, and the sun definitely set ten minutes later than it was supposed to. I asked them if they had any explanations, but they did not offer anything concrete. Mostly they sat in a circle around a sundial, staring at it, murmuring and cooing. Still, we must be grateful to have the sun at all. It's easy to forget in this hot, hot, hot desert climate, but things would actually be slightly harder for us without the sun. The next time the sun rises, whatever time that turns out to be, take a moment to feel grateful for all the warmth, and light, and even, yes, extreme heat that our desert community is gifted with."
As far as Yugi knew, the mysterious stranger garbed in gold and cream linen was the only person he spoke to, but there was a chance someone had approached another member of their team and he just hadn't been aware of it.
"The city council would like to remind you about the Tiered Heavens, and the Hierarchy of Gods. The reminder is that you should not know anything about this. The structure of Afterlife and the angelic organizational chart are privileged information known only to the city council members on a need-to-know basis. Please, do not speak to or acknowledge any gods that you might come across while shopping at the Ralph's or at the Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Arcade Fun Complex. They only tell lies, and do not exist. Report all God sightings to the city council for treatment."
Yugi paused, a pencil between his teeth. That kind of talk was blasphemous according to the religion practiced primarily in Egypt. No one heard any angry mutterings or worse, the makings of a mob, so he ignored it for now, returning to his work.
"And now for a brief public service announcement. Alligators. Can they kill your children? Yes."
"Of course they can kill," Jaden muttered, glaring at the blackboard as though it had wronged him in some way.
Joey chuckled but otherwise did not comment.
"Along those lines, to get personal for a moment, I think the best way to die would be swallowed by a giant snake. Going feet first and whole into a slimy maw would give your life perfect symmetry."
The music picked up in tempo, and it seemed to lift everyone's spirits.
"Personally I think this guy is nuts, but damn if he isn't funny."
Yugi threatened to dock Joey's pay if he so much as breathed too loudly during the broadcast. Joey immediately shut his mouth, locking it away and throwing out the imaginary key.
"Speaking of the Desert Flower Bowling Alley and Arcade Fun Complex, its owner, Pegasus Crawford, reports that he has found the entrance to a vast underground city in the pin retrieval area of lane five. He said he has not yet ventured into it, merely peered down at its strange spires and broad avenues. He also reports voices of a distant crowd in the depths of that subterranean metropolis. Apparently, the entrance was discovered when a bowling ball accidentally rolled into it, clattering down to the city below with sounds that echoed for miles across the impossibly huge cavern—so, you know, whatever population that city has, they know about us now, and we might be hearing from them very soon."
It was getting to be a bit late in the evening, so Yugi swallowed the nervous lump in his throat and declared that he was going to find the source of this voice, if only to satisfy his growing curiosity.
Ten minutes later, Yugi was standing in front of a door in the Pharaoh's palace with only a vague recollection of how he'd gotten there. He remembered a tall man garbed in blue, and a solid gold rod. The dim hall he stood in, a hypostyle hall if he wasn't mistaken, bore numerous pillars of stone that stretched towards the ceiling, which no amount of squinting would let him see.
The door before him creaked open slowly, startling the poor man, stark white coat tails fluttering in the sudden cool breeze that seemed to come from the dark room before him. Summoning what little resolve he possessed, Yugi walked purposefully inside, the door closing with a muffled click behind him. He briefly wondered why a room in the middle of the hypostyle hall held an exquisitely carved wooden door, hieroglyphs engraved in the surface telling a strange story of previous pharaohs and how they died.
Yugi found himself in a dark misty room, the only light coming from wall sconces lining each side of the room. Despite the relative open space, he found himself wishing for fresh air and a cool breeze. The purple mist clung to everything; the walls, floor, and ceiling dripping with the flowing gaseous substance. A large desk sat squarely in the middle of the room, the vague outline of a person sitting in front of it. He took note of all this in the brief moment before taking a cautious step forward, clutching the piece of equipment he brought close to his chest. Yugi swore he could hear his own heartbeat.
"Ah, Yugi! You may enter."
The voice came from the person sitting at the desk. It was distinctly male, and sent a frisson of heat rolling down his spine. It was that voice. The one from the radio broadcast, in the literal flesh.
"Come now, don't be shy. I won't bite."
Yugi sincerely doubted that, but what the hell. If he was going to die in a foreign country with nothing but the clothes on his back, then why not? He might even be happy about it if the man with that voice was his killer.
Taking a tentative step, Yugi cautiously approached the desk, which he saw was full of broadcasting equipment. The microphone was only a foot away now, but try as he might, Yugi could not make out the face of the man the voice belonged to. No amount of squinting or head tilting revealed anything but fiery crimson eyes that felt as though they were staring straight into his soul.
"You were, uh.. expecting me?" The hitch in his voice made him cringe.
"Eventually."
Well, that didn't answer his question at all. What an infuriating man!
"Okay.. Well, I'm here to test for materials. Do you mind..?"
Yugi trailed off intentionally, hoping the man would give up his name. He didn't want to call him that voice for the rest of his stay.
"You may. I am taking a little break, so feel free to test away."
A frown marred Yugi's perfect round face, but with a nod, he got to work. Once or twice he got within a foot of the man and his microphone, but still could not make out the top half of his face, other than those burning eyes. The man simply sat there, sipping from a brown earthenware mug, every now and again locking eyes with him.
When Yugi brought the device up to the microphone, it began beeping incessantly. Looking over the readings, he grew nervous. How was that even possible? He quickly turned the machine off and turned to go, completely forgetting his manners in the process. Just before his hand touched the doorknob, the man spoke again, his voice doing funny things to Yugi's libido.
"Leaving so soon? I was just about to go back on the air. Would you like to stay for a brief interview?"
Yugi was sorely tempted, but he was tired, sweaty, and in need of a shower and a hot meal.
"I'm sorry, uh.. sir. I really can't. You should evacuate the building, and take everyone else with you."
"Why ever should I do that?"
Was he trying to be funny? Yugi held his temper in check and turned back to face the mysterious radio jockey.
"There's something strange going on here, and I'm going to find out what it is."
"Welcome to Waset, Yugi."
With those words ringing in his ears, Yugi left the dark, misty room, feeling those wine red eyes bore into his back.
He watched the archaeologist go with a heavy heart. He really had been looking forward to having more of a conversation with the young man, but it seemed like he'd had other plans. Perhaps next time.
Yugi returned to the lab, only to shoo everyone else back to the hotel they were staying in. After closing up the place and shutting all the equipment off, he'd brought the radio with him on a whim. Flopping in bed after a nice, hot shower and a warm meal filling his belly, Yugi couldn't remembr the last time he'd dealt with that many strange events, and all in one day!
Laying on his back under the covers, Yugi stared drowsily at the ceiling, letting that rich, warm voice lull him into a dream-filled slumber.
"Yugi, perfect and beautiful, came into our studios during the break earlier, but declined to stay for an interview. He had some sort of blinking box in his hand covered with wires and tubes. Said he was testing the place for materials. I don't know what materials he meant, but that box sure whistled and beeped a lot. When he put it close to the microphone it sounded like, well, like a bunch of baby birds had just woken up, really went crazy. Yugi looked nervous. I've never seen that kind of look on someone with that strong of a jaw. He left in a hurry. Told us to evacuate the building. But then, who would be here to talk sweetly to all of you out there?"
'Of course,' Yugi thought before he drifted off to sleep. 'That voice will haunt my dreams for the rest of my life.'
"Settling in to be another clear night and pretty evening here in Waset. I hope all of you out there have someone to sleep through it with, or, at least, good memories of when you did."
"Good night, listeners. Good night."
The radio shut itself off after the last musical note faded into silence. For the first time in a long time, Yugi slept peacefully that night.