Creation- The Auditor’s Apprentice

by Frank Stonely

  Hedrick felt Abraxas release him. He inwardly smiled to himself, ‘I am going to leave this sheet of paper on the chair,’ as he spoke he peeled the top page from his audit pad. ‘There are two sets of Space Dimension coordinates on it; the first is for Amy and Ravi, the second is the last location we have for Daniel.’ Hedrick was now walking towards the pressure door, ‘I would be very grateful if you would keep this information to yourself.’ He knew what he was asking was virtually impossible. Holding the meeting in the chamber had only delayed the inevitable, but it had also given the angel time to fog his memory. The reason Hedrick had written the coordinates down rather than telling them to Abraxas was to reduce the strength of the memory. An image was much easier to mask than a conversation. Hedrick pressed the pressure door intercom button and asked the Launch Platform Supervisor to let him out.

  24

  Amy’s Arrival

  As Sally placed the glasses of wine on the table she stared directly into Daniel’s eyes, ‘Fancy coming out with me tomorrow?’ she said, ‘We could walk up into the hills; I know a lovely place for a picnic. Nobody ever goes there, so we won’t be disturbed.’

  Daniel could feel his face starting to flush as he fought to compose a reply. The awkward silence was broken as Mrs. Perkins’ son ran into the snug crying, ‘Mummy, Sal said I’ve got to go to bed.’

  Tanka looked up at the clock on the snug wall, ‘She’s right, young man. Come on, it’s off to bed with you.’ She stood up and turning to Daniel said, ‘We’ll finish this in the morning.’ Then taking hold of the young boy’s hand, she led him from the room, calling back, ‘There’s customers waiting to be served out here, Sal.’ Sally cursed under her breath, then followed her mother out of the room.

  The first Amy knew of Abraxas’ arrival was the instantaneous change to her surroundings. In a flash, the twinkling stars had been replaced by a kaleidoscope of colours and shapes. She concentrated on her central vision. She was floating above an unmade bed next to a dressing table cluttered with an array of small pots and jars. The surrounding floor was strewn with discarded clothes almost obscuring the patterned rug. The curtains were drawn closed and a pink dressing gown hung from a hook on the back of the door. The silence was broken as a bipedal life form stormed into the room, slamming the door closed behind it. From the drone images on Mo’s workstation, Amy recognised the being as a human female. She watched as it ran across the room, launching itself dramatically onto the bed. The creature buried its face into the pillow and cried out, ‘I hate you! I hate you!’

  After a few seconds, Sally’s irritation at her mother subsided. She rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. There was something odd about it. The hanging lampshade now seemed to contain two light sources. A light bulb and a glowing yellow globe. As she watched, Amy’s essence started to descend towards her. Sally screamed out, ‘Mum! Mum! HELP!’ Her cry was heard throughout the pub and in the street below as the glowing sphere passed into her chest. Instantly the screaming stopped and Amy found herself viewing the room through Sally’s eyes. Just for a nanosecond she thought she was in her own bed, at home in Creation, waking from a dream. She raised Sally’s hands and studied the splayed fingers. No fur. No claws. The action of sitting up and swinging her legs off the bed seemed perfectly normal. She sat for a moment, examining the interior of the bedroom, a bedroom almost as untidy as her younger sister’s. In Mo’s lab they had discussed what might happen when she arrived on the planet. What it would be like to inhabit an alien body. The words had been technical and matter-of-fact, always assuming a safe arrival, an arrival that included Ravi. The hands, now resting on Sally’s thighs, started to shake, as the reality of her perilous situation began to sink in.

  Suddenly, the door flew open and Mrs. Perkins rushed in, ‘Sally! Sally! Whatever’s wrong?’ She stopped to catch her breath, ‘You’ve got to stop making such a fool of yourself, Sally! It’s embarrassing!’ she scolded, stooping to pick up the clothes littering the floor. Amy watched cautiously as the human female approached the bed. ‘You can’t just go around chasing after every man that comes into the pub-’ Tanka stopped mid-sentence and studied Sally’s face, ‘What’s wrong, Sal? You don’t look very well.’

  Without any conscious effort Amy found Sally speaking for her, ‘I’m not Sally, I’m Amy. Amy 64.’

  ‘What are you talking about? You’ve been eavesdropping at the snug door again. What Daniel and me talk about is our own business!’ Tanka snapped.

  ‘Daniel’s here?’ Amy asked, struggling to control Sally’s legs as she got up from the bed.

  Tanka took a step back, ‘Who are you?’

  ‘I told you. I’m Amy 64, Director Hedrick’s apprentice.’

  The reply hit Tanka like an express train. If Hedrick had mastered Anubis’ technology, the village could be crawling with creationists. Now it was Mrs. Perkins’ hands that were shaking as Tanka spoke, ‘Are you alone, Amy?’

  ‘No, I came with Ravi, but we got separated.’ Amy replied, her confidence building. ‘Who are you?’

  The reply was cautious, ‘I’m Tanka, from the Grand Depository-’

  Sally’s demeanour changed as Amy began berating Mrs. Perkins. ‘What have you done with Daniel? Why didn’t you stop Anubis taking him?’

  Now convinced he was talking to Amy, Tanka tried to explain what had happened, ‘Amy, I was trying to protect Daniel… Anubis was going to kill him.’

  ‘Stop lying!’ Amy interrupted, ‘You’re just as guilty as he is!’

  ‘Me! Guilty?’

  ‘Yes, you!’ Amy went to step closer but, lost control of Sally’s legs, and fell in a crumpled heap at Mrs. Perkins feet.

  Tanka offered Mrs Perkins’ hand, saying, ‘Trust me, Amy, if it wasn’t for me, Daniel would be dead by now.’

  Amy took the hand and pulled herself up onto Sally’s unsteady legs. ‘Is he really here?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes, he is.’

  ‘I want to see him.’

  ‘Okay… I’ll take you to him.’

  Still unsteady, Amy had to hold onto Tanka’s arm as they made their way up the stairs towards the guest bedrooms. When they reached room four, Tanka knocked lightly on the door and then stood aside, leaving Amy in full view. The door opened and an irritated Daniel appeared, wearing only boxer shorts. ‘Sally, it’s the middle of the night. What do you want?’ he snapped, before noticing Mrs. Perkins standing in the shadows wearing a broad smile. ‘What’s going on?’ he asked her.

  ‘Look closer, Daniel. Look into her eyes.’

  ‘It’s too late for that, Tanka. If you’re trying to find a mate for Sally then try one of the other guests.’

  Amy turned to Mrs. Perkins, ‘This is Daniel, Daniel 42?’

  ‘That’s him,’ Tanka said, turning and walking Mrs Perkins towards the stairs.

  Amy stepped forward to study the face, searching for any familiar features. ‘Daniel, is that you?’ she asked, cautiously.

  Daniel sighed with exasperation, ‘Sally, it’s too late to be playing these childish games, now go back to bed!’ He started to close the bedroom door, but Amy raised Sally’s hand and stopped it from closing.

  ‘Daniel, it’s me, Amy,’ she said, peering through the gap into Daniel’s eyes.

  He slowly opened the door and after a moment’s thought asked, ‘Do you remember when we had our first lunch together at Micco’s?’

  ‘Of course I do.’

  ‘What did we eat?’

  Sally’s face lit up as Amy replied, ‘roast ribs, we ate roast ribs.’ Amy stepped forward and grasped Daniel’s wrists, ‘Tell me, what did I do when you finished eating the ribs?’

  Daniel started to laugh, ‘You wiped my face as though I was a pup.’ Amy released Daniel’s wrists and threw her arms around his neck, forcing him to stagger backwards into the room. He looped his arm around her waist and swung her around to regain his balance, lifting Sally’s feet from the floor. Amy squealed with delight as the room spun by, until Daniel lost
control of his legs, sending them tumbling onto the bed.

  They lay, side-by-side, laughing at the ceiling, until the room stopped spinning. Then, Amy turned to Daniel and looking directly into his eyes, whispered, ‘I’ve found you.’

  It was four-thirty in the morning and raining heavily when Mrs. Perkins started banging on the door. Eventually the hall light came on and the cottage door cracked open, restricted by its security chain. A nervous Mrs. Anubis peered through the gap. ‘Mrs. Perkins, what are you doing out at this time of night? You’re soaked to the skin!’ The door briefly closed and then swept fully open, ‘Quick, come in out of the rain.’

  Tanka stepped into the hall just as Anubis was coming down the stairs. He gave her a quizzical look, ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ his wife replied, looking at Mrs. Perkins for an explanation.

  ‘I’m so sorry to disturb you, Mr. Anubis, but my car has broken down at the top of the lane and yours was the nearest cottage.’

  ‘I’ll phone the pub for you,’ Anubis’ wife said, lifting the telephone handset and starting to dial the number.’

  Anubis snatched the handset from her and returned it to its cradle, ‘You can’t call the pub at this time of night,’ he said, ‘you’ll wake everybody up. I’ll drive Mrs. Perkins back home myself.’

  With Mrs. Perkins wearing his wife’s raincoat, they ran to the Toyota Land Cruiser parked by the garden gate and climbed in. As he started the engine Anubis turned aggressively to Tanka, ‘What the hell’s going on! She’s suspicious enough without you turning up in the middle of the night.’

  ‘They’ve found us! Daniel’s partner, Amy, has just turned up. She’s been implanted in Sally!’

  ‘How the FUCK did that happen?’

  ‘I don’t know but I suspect Haamiah’s involved somewhere.’

  ‘No, if she was involved, we’d be dead by now. This smells more like Hedrick’s work to me. You go back to the pub. I’m going to talk this over with the Gatekeeper. And, don’t say a fucking word to anybody!’

  ‘But it’s pouring with rain!’

  ‘Then you’re going to get wet then, aren’t you?’ Anubis stretched across and opened the passenger door. Mrs. Perkins got out and, pulling the raincoat up over her head, watched as the car sped into the darkness.

  Anubis was driving like a maniac, bouncing off verges and hedgerows, as he raced through the narrow lanes. The rain was torrential, all but blocking his view as he approached the final hill. He floored the accelerator, propelling the vehicle towards the summit at breakneck speed. All he could think about was taking his revenge on Hedrick. Why the FUCK did he have to get involved. Suddenly, he caught sight of the light above the Ground Station’s entrance as he hurtled past the driveway. He slammed his foot on the brake, just as the vehicle reached the crest of the hill. But it was too late, he had lost control, the Land Cruiser was airborne. The front wheels hit the ground first, almost flipping the four-by-four as it ploughed through the hedgerow. Anubis was thrown against the seatbelt, his view blocked by the exploding airbags erupting all around him. The bouncing and jostling seemed to go on for ever, but eventually, having careered into a freshly ploughed field, he came to a halt with the vehicle’s wheels buried in mud.

  Anubis grabbed the torch from the glovebox and got out to inspect the damage. Amazingly, apart from scuffed paintwork and a torn branch jammed in the grill, it seemed unscathed. He pulled the branch free and jumped back in, keen to escape the driving rain, then carefully coaxed the vehicle back onto the road.

  The Gatekeeper’s host woke up with a start when the door-buzzer sounded. Rubbing his eyes, it trudged to the reception area and opened the external door. Anubis barged his way into the Ground Station, the rain from his coat leaving a trail across the floor. Orion closed the door and followed him, ‘I take it there’s a problem?’ he asked cautiously.

  ‘If you think the village crawling with creationists is a problem, then you’re probably right!’ Anubis snarled sarcastically. ‘That bitch Amy has turned up! I expected Hedrick to get involved but not this soon.’

  ‘They must have got the drone working?’

  ‘There’s only one technician who’s smart enough to bypass the encryption – and that’s Mohammed. Anyway that’s irrelevant now.’ Anubis got up from the chair and, walking over to the drone, started to disconnect its cables.

  ‘What are you doing?’ the Gatekeeper asked.

  ‘Ready or not, we’ve got to implement the plan.

  ‘What about the final testing?’

  ‘No time for that. We’ve got dismantle the drone and get it up to the cavern.’

  25

  Ground Station Blast

  It was five-thirty a.m. when the alarm on Sergeant Rogers’ bedside clock went off. He instinctively reached out and pressed the cancel button but, as he rolled out of his bed, he fell onto the floor. His wife, Betty, switched on the bedside lamp and started to laugh as he repeatedly tried to get to his feet. After his third attempt her laughing stopped abruptly, ‘Oh my God, he’s had a stroke!’ she shouted, jumping out of the bed and running to her husband’s side. ‘Brian, talk to me! Are you okay?’

  ‘Yes, I’m fine.’ Ravi said, ‘I just feel a bit dizzy.’

  ‘Thank the good Lord!’ she sighed, holding her hand against her chest. ‘Now, get dressed and stop frightening me. I’m going downstairs to get your breakfast ready,’ she added, taking her dressing gown from the back of the door.

  In the dark, Ravi had thought he was waking to just another day in Creation, until Sergeant Rogers’ wife had turned on the bedside lamp. He now sat on the edge of the bed, wondering where he was and how in Creation he’d been implanted in this human avatar. Betty returned to the bedroom carrying a mug of tea, ‘Aren’t you dressed yet?’ she scolded, pulling her husband to his feet and leading him across the bedroom to the wardrobe. She took out two hangers, one holding a crisply ironed shirt and the other his police uniform. Betty passed them to Ravi, who just stood in a daze staring at her. In frustration she slid the shirt from the hanger and started to dress him. ‘Are you sure you’re all right, Brian?’ she said, as she buttoned up the shirt and attached the clip-on tie. Ravi said nothing, intrigued by the dexterity of her clawless fingers. She handed him the trousers, ‘Now put these on and come downstairs for your breakfast. You’re going to be late for work.’ She left the bedroom, mumbling something about men being pathetic.

  Ravi carefully slid each of the sergeant’s legs into the trousers and buttoned up the waistband. Then picking up his jacket, made his way down to the kitchen. All was going well until he misjudged one of the steps. Both legs went from under him and he fell, head first, into the hallway. Betty rushed from the kitchen when she heard the clatter of Ravi’s descent, accompanied by his cries of pain. ‘Right! That’s it! I’m calling the doctor out.’ she said, as she helped him back onto his feet.

  Amy and Daniel were laughing hysterically. He had been telling her about discovering his penis and how he initially thought it was a cancerous tumour. At first she didn’t believe him until he reached into his boxer shorts and pulled it out. She stared down, fascinated by its appearance and then cautiously poked the end of it with an outstretched finger. Assured it wasn’t going to bite, she started to examine it, ‘So they use this to drain off surplus body fluids?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes, it works really well, but I’ve discovered it has more interesting functions.’ He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her passionately. She felt the blood surge into the organ and quickly released it, pushing Daniel away. Standing at a safe distance, she stared in disbelief at the now erect penis. ‘What do you think about that?’ Daniel said proudly.

  ‘What in Creation is it for?’ she said, cautiously prodding it again.

  ‘I’m not too sure, Tanka says it’s to do with their reproduction process. I’ll ask him to explain it to us in the morning.’

  Amy spent the night in Daniel’s room, sharing his bed. He held her clos
e as she told him what had happened at the presentation. How, had it not been for Director Hedrick, Haamiah would have extracted the universe even though she knew Daniel was in it. And how, Hedrick had negotiated a delay of twenty four hours for them to rescue him. Daniel shook his head in disbelief as she described the drone launch that had left her drifting in space. They speculated as to what could have happened to Ravi, but the outcome always seemed bleak.

  Before they went to sleep Daniel had demonstrated the waste disposal organ which Amy agreed was a most efficient system. Amy was less impressed with the erection feature and had woken several times during the night when the rigid member had found its way between her thighs.

  The next morning Daniel had shown equal interest in Amy’s vagina as the pair sat on the bed exploring it. The function of the aperture was a total mystery, although Amy had found the investigation very satisfying. She now sat in front of the dressing table mirror trying to come to terms with Sally’s hair. It was too long to be groomed like fur and yet too short to be treated as a mane. Daniel was trying to help by describing the hair styles he had seen around the village. There was a knock at the bedroom door. Daniel opened it to find a very subdued Tanka on the other side. ‘I had to tell him,’ she said walking into the bedroom.

  ‘Tell who what?’ Daniel replied, smelling bad news.

  ‘Anubis. I had to tell him Amy was here.’

  ‘You didn’t have to tell him anything!’ Daniel said, slamming the door closed. ‘Whose side are you on, Tanka?’

  ‘I’m on Mrs. Perkins’ side.’

  ‘And what’s that supposed to mean?’

  Amy stepped between them, ‘Stop arguing! We’ve only got nine Creation hours left.’