Silken Scales

by Alex Hayes

  I nod and push him back towards the short passage we came out of. “See you soon.”

  “You too.” He pats my shoulder, without hurting me for once. “Take pictures.”

  “Go,” I order.

  He staggers back down the passage and steps into the blackness. Gone in an instant.

  I return to Cadi and the lizard-man. “Who are you? I feel like I know you…um, do you mind?” I hold up my phone and snap a few pictures of him and Cadi.

  Lizard-Man smiles, and I realize he’s older than I first thought. A full-grown man, possibly in his later years. “My name is Valdar. I am your father.”

  Holy shit. What?

  He’s my dad. My dad is an alien. That means I’m an alien. I look at Cadi. And so is she. We’re all aliens!

  This is so freaking surreal.

  Valdar opens his arms, and like a magnet to iron, I’m drawn in.

  As we hug, a memory unfolds, like a scrunched photograph flattening out. My arms wrapped around a scaly torso much bigger than mine, that leaves my legs dangling. Giggles permeate the quiet of a courtyard shaded by an indigo tree with a ribbed canopy of feathery leaves that reminds me of an umbrella. I’m lifted into the air and dropped down again. The motion makes my insides joggle and a squeal of laughter bursts out of me. A deep laugh joins in. My dad’s.

  “You remember.” Valdar’s voice is deep and I long to hear his laugh again.

  The image of a lady with a diamond pattern of cream and yellow scales along her neck steps into view. She smiles, her narrow green lips stretching until her smooth cheeks lift. “Time for your nap, Dresandar.”

  Mom?

  But I don’t want to leave Dad or the tranquility of this outdoor paradise with its warm air filled with the scent of some kind of flower. A big orange one, shaped like a saxophone with a spray of red stamen bursting out the end.

  “Cadalonea’s waiting for you,” Mom’s voice cajoles.

  My lips tighten with resistance, then surrender. Naps with Cadalonea are the best.

  Cadalonea… Cadi?

  Reluctantly, I pull away from Dad. My real dad. Wow. I can hardly believe I’m standing here with him now. “Where’s Mom?”

  Valdar’s shoulders droop and a hollow breath escapes him. “I’m sorry, Dresandar. Your mother was killed during an Evatenon attack.”

  The wind rushes out of my lungs. I’ll never see that wide green smile again. A vacuum forms in my stomach, an emptiness that has no end or beginning. How can I miss someone I barely remember? Yet I do, with an intensity that makes my molecules shiver.

  I remember the dead security guard left behind in the warehouse. “Did they… Did they suck the life out of her?”

  Valdar grips my arms. “No. She wasn’t assimilated. Her death was instant. She didn’t suffer.”

  I close my eyes with horror or relief, I’m not sure, but I can’t take the look of devastation on my dad’s face.

  Valdar sighs as he looks at me, like he’s regretting all that he’s missed during the last fifteen years of my life. “We’ve much to catch up on and little time, Dresandar.” He reaches out and I grip his hands.

  Memories enter my mind from earliest childhood, but from my dad’s perspective. They flow over me, slow and syrupy, with overwhelming sweetness. My early life was filled with endless days of warmth and play and curiosity and limit testing. Laughter and tears, joy and anger, contentment and frustration combine into a snaky river of experiences revolving around my parents and my closest companion. Cadalonea.

  How did I forget her? Or did I? The fragments were always there, scraps of images floating around my brain without anchor. With my dad’s recollections, the pieces find landing places and the holes fill in.

  I’ve just entered the terrible-twos when a rattling comes from somewhere across the cavern. Valdar stiffens and our connection is broken.

  As we step apart, I register an entrance to the cavern. The opening seems small, from this distance, at least, which is easily the length of a couple of football fields.

  Valdar heaves a breath like it’s a heavy load to bear. “They’re coming. Our time is almost up.”

  “Who’s coming? And what time?” I ask, my mind still reeling from the influx of memories.

  Cadi speaks. “An army that killed most of our people. Valdar was the last left here alive. We have to disable the system that’s keeping the wormhole open before they reach it, to keep that army from crossing over to Earth and killing everyone there.”

  Points taken. I bet she’s really good at writing synopses in school.

  I focus back on the here and now, and drop two sets of knuckles onto my hips. “Okay. So what’s the plan?”

  More shaking from outside the cavern.

  Valdar looks over his shoulder. “You must go back through the wormhole with the ar’n bala cutting, then I will destroy the energy sphere.”

  I’m frowning, half curious, half concerned. Cadi and me going back makes sense, but what about my dad? I can’t leave him here to face a whole army. Not that Cadi and I would be much help. But Dad and I have only just been reunited and leaving him behind is all wrong.

  Valdar points to a giant stalactite on the cavern ceiling, poised a little off center from the top of the glowing energy ball. “If that rock falls, it will destroy the upper electromagnet and disrupt the containment field surrounding the power core. Uncontained, the sphere will implode.”

  “And the wormhole will disappear?” I ask.

  “Yes. And the Evatenon will be unable to recreate it.”

  The cogs are turning in my head, fast. “So, could you make sure the rock’s going to fall and then jump through the wormhole just before it hits the electromagnet?”

  But Valdar’s already hurrying over to a stalagmite stub. He checks a weird green and yellow hologram floating over a stone ledge, then lifts a giant weapon-looking thing off the surface. “The force field’s down to five percent. It won’t hold much longer. You need to go. Cadalonea, please, take the ar’n bala tree cutting. Dresandar. Go now.”

  Oh, no. No, no, no!

  There’s got to be a way to get Valdar out of here too. We need more time together and I want the rest of my memories.

  My fingers tap rapidly against my thighs, but I’m not aware of the rhythm. “You have to come with us.”

  Valdar’s eyes look sadder than ever. “I wish I could. There’s so much more I want to tell you, but I have given Cadalonea the best of my memories. I must ensure the energy sphere is destroyed, and you must leave at once. There is work for you to do on Earth. The Evatenon who have already passed through the cosmic bridge must be stopped. I’ve explained to Cada—”

  Another rattle, stronger than the ones before, shakes the cave, and a few stalagmites — or are they stalactites? — fall from the ceiling and hit the billowy sand on the cavern floor.

  I’m about to argue more, because the thought of leaving Valdar is killing me, when the cavern fills with wiggly blue lightning bolts coming from the entrance on the other side.

  The bolts hit the stone walls and ceiling, sending chunks of stone falling around us.

  Christ! Dad’s right. I need to get Cadi out of here.

  “We need to go.” I reach for her hand, but she tugs away. I stumble after her and nab her arm.

  “We need the crystal cutting.” Cadi points to a box.

  Okay, fine. I follow and we grab the box. Just as I’m about to go head to head with my dad about coming with us, a rumbling shakes the whole cavern and knocks us off our feet. I look up to see a minibus-size stalactite cracking away from the ceiling.

  “Cadi! Move!” I loop an arm around her waist.

  Dad’s on the floor, frozen in place, looking up.

  “Dad!” I yell.

  “Valdar!” Cadi’s scream joins mine as the giant hunk of rock breaks free and spears towards the ground, right where my dad’s lying.

  The solid mass comes within feet of the ground and stops, as completely as the air locked in my t
hroat.

  I look around in confusion, then spot Cadi. Her arms are outstretched and her face is tense, eyes focused on the suspended rock. Because she’s holding it there.

  Valdar reaches for the weapon he dropped. I grab his arm and haul him out of danger’s way. The hovering mass of stone lowers to the ground, landing with a soft thud on the sandy floor.

  Dad grips my shoulder. “Quickly, both of you, to the cosmic bridge.”

  I hook his arm. “We’re not leaving without you.”

  “I have to close the bridge.” His expression is nonnegotiable.

  Ugh. Do all dads across the universe talk to their kids the same way? Well, I’m not three anymore, whatever my two dads may think. “We’ll find a way. Together.”

  He glances from me to Cadi and back, so fast I only just catch the narrowing of his eyes before they widen again. “Maybe there is a way…”

  “Idris! Hurry up!” Cadi shouts as she totes the floating box toward the wormhole entrance.

  I pause and stare at her. “Wait. Shouldn’t you be unconscious?”

  She glances back. “Valdar showed me how to throttle my power output.”

  Valdar steps away from me. “We might be able to set off a chain reaction from the other side of the worm hole, but I must destroy the control consoles first.” He levels the business end of his weapon at the holographic images and banks of controls. “Go, Dresandar. Help Cadalonea. I’ll follow you.”

  I nod and run toward Cadi.

  Blue lightning bolts sizzle through the air, shaking the whole cavern. I bend low, as rock and debris pelt the ground around me. Cadi dodges into the passageway toward the wormhole entrance.

  A whirling sound followed by an explosion makes me stop short. I look around to see the control consoles smoldering and Valdar heading our way. As his feet pound the sandy floor, blue light crackles through the air again, only this time not from the weapon he’s holding. A bolt strikes him in the back, freezing him in his tracks. The outline of his body glows, then he disintegrates into a pile of silvery dust.

  Someone screams. Me. I’m screaming because the person I’ve just reconnected with after all these years — my dad — has just been atomized. I can’t move. I can’t think.

  Hands cup my cheeks. “Idris, we’ve got to get out of here.”

  I stare into Cadi’s tear-stained face unable to move a muscle.

  She grabs my arms. “We must go.”

  I’m shaking my head like I’m trapped in a bad dream. A nightmare. This isn’t happening. It can’t be. “Dad,” I whisper, staring at the space he occupied seconds ago. With clenched fists, I draw in a faltering breath. “We can’t leave. We have to destroy the sphere.”

  “I think I know what Valdar planned to do when he agreed to come with us. Together, you and I can destroy the sphere, from the other side.”

  “How do you know that?” I demand, lifting my fists to my eyes.

  “One of Valdar’s memories…but we have to go. Now!”

  More lightning bolts zigzag across the cavern. The light storm jolts me from my foot-frozen state.

  Cadi drags the floating box. I grab a handle and tug, wondering why we’re hauling this stupid container. “What’s in this thing?” I shout as we enter the passage to the wormhole.

  “A crystal tree.”

  Right. Whatever. Before we step through, I stop. “You sure this destruction plan’s going to work?” In the distance, I hear a booming B-flat.

  “We’ll find out,” she answers. “Come on, the force field is breaking down.”

  A rumble of gravelly shouts ring around the cavern. Triumphant cheers. Suddenly, I want to stay and wipe out that entire effing army. But I can’t.

  We step into the void and out into a different kind of darkness. I yank the hovering plastic box across the concrete floor of the warehouse. “Marek?”

  A shuffle makes me turn. How come I can see him so much better in the dark? Right. Infrared. I’ve got my lizard eyes on.

  What’s he doing on the floor? I run to his side. “Mar, you okay?”

  “Yeah, yeah, fine. I was sleeping. Thought you’d never come back. I’ve been waiting hours.”

  Cadi gasps as if she’s just realized something. “Time passes faster here than on the other side of the bridge. Idris, we’ve a little more time, but we’ve got to close the wormhole.”

  I return to her side, desperation mounting in my chest because I haven’t a clue how to do that and all I can think about is my dad falling into a pile of dust. Breathe. Take deep breaths. “What do we do?”

  She grips my hand. “We need to send a force through the wormhole strong enough to dislodge the electromagnet above the energy sphere. I can push the telekinetic energy through, but I need you to focus it.”

  Argh. Too much is going down too fast. “How?”

  Marek knocks into my side. “Here, use this?” He shoves the barbell at me. “Cadi, send your psychic energy down the bar and let Idris focus it.”

  “Focus it at what?” I shout.

  Cadi’s fingers wrap around mine on the weight bar. “Visualize your target. The magnet above the sphere.”

  “Okay. Okay, let’s do this.” I point the bar into the void and form a picture in my mind, a blast of energy hitting one of the containment magnets. A bolt of energy quivers down the bar. I struggle to focus, and the pulse is gone.

  Wait a second. Is this even going to work?

  Energy converted into sound waves won’t have any effect on a magnet. I know that much. Which means I need to focus the energy on the sphere itself. But at what frequency? If the sphere were made of glass, somewhere around 600 Hertz might do it, between a D and a D-sharp on the fifth octave. But it’s not. That means I’ve got to climb the musical scale until I hit the right resonance frequency.

  Jeez, I sound like my brainiac best friend.

  I look at Cadi. “We’ve gotta try again?”

  Before she can answer, a giant mold-colored Gila-monster-looking guy — with four eyes, four arms and a weird double mouth — storms out of the wormhole closet. He shoulders into me, knocking the barbell from my grasp.

  Holy hell. And he’s armed.

  Just as I think he’s about to shoot us, his weapon flies out of his hands, travels the full length of the warehouse and hits the wall.

  The Gila guy spews some gibberish, which strangely, I understand. “Die, Livran scum!”

  Anger bursts out of my lungs. “Who are you calling scum?”

  His weird-ass eyes land on me and he charges.

  I swallow. Why didn’t I freaking take those karate lessons when I had the chance?

  My feet are scooped from under me and I drop to the floor. Moldy goes flying over my head, arms groping at nothing.

  Cadi!

  I’m back on my feet at the same time as Moldy. He’s moving again. In my direction. What the hell’s his beef with me?

  Right, I’m green, Livran and this guy’s current enemy numero uno.

  “Id, here.” Marek’s voice punctures the darkness. He hurls the barbell toward me.

  I catch the metal bar and find it easy to maneuver. Right. I’m stronger in lizard form.

  There’s this guy on YouTube I watched when I was like twelve. A bow-staff black belt dude. Somebody Johnson…or Jackson. One of those presidents. Anyway, loved those moves, practiced them for hours with a curtain rod I found in the garage.

  With a burst of confidence, I twirl the barbell over my head, bow-staff style. Oh, yeah. This extra muscle mass goes a long way.

  As Moldy makes a move on me, I clock him upside the head. He rolls across the floor and back onto his feet. Shouldn’t that have knocked him out? He’s tougher than he looks. On second thought, the guy’s a tank.

  With something like a roar, he barrels toward me. I whack him again, but he’s like a Kung Fu Panda punching bag, just bounces back.

  Marek rushes in for a take-down, but Moldy swings out several arms and sends my best friend flying.

  Dam
n. Humans don’t stand a chance against these guys.

  Cadi runs to Marek’s side as Moldy homes in on me. This time he anticipates my bow-staff maneuver and dodges, then lunges.

  The barbell clangs a G as I hit the ground with Go Go Godzilla on top of me, trying to take out my face with a fist. A whack to my jaw and I’m seeing stars, but only for a second. Adrenalin rushes in with an endorphin kick that turns me into a seriously mean Livran fighting machine. I block the next blow and throw him off. He bounces a few times across the concrete floor, then springs back up.

  What is he? Frigging Hulk?

  I scramble to my feet. Where the hell did that barbell go?

  He’s on my back with at least two arms around my neck, choking me. Then we’re both flying. Cadi must have done her trick on him, only she didn’t take into account Moldy’s grip on my throat.

  There’s a crunching sound as we land in a pileup and a plume of dust billows around us. We’ve just landed on the dried-up body Marek and I found on the way in here. If I could breathe, I’d be gagging.

  Focusing back on the meaty fingers digging into my neck, I jab Moldy in the face with the back of my skull. If he had a nose it would be broken. As it is, I think he’s only got nose holes and possibly a steel-plated cranium.

  Next thing I know, my face is being ground into concrete. More pain. More anger. My elbow springs back into his abdomen where I’m hoping he might have a diaphragm floating around somewhere.

  His breath staggers, but the fucker doesn’t let go. So I get to my feet with him hanging on like I’m a ninja turtle and he’s my shell. He still holds onto my neck; it’s a wonder I can breathe. Am I breathing?

  A moment of panic, then I do a squat and heave. He flips over my head and hits the floor.

  Back on my feet, I search for the barbell because I could seriously use a weapon right now. Then I hear metal sliding across concrete, and something bangs into my toe.

  Fifty pounds of something. Ow!

  My hand curls around the bar. Yes! My Angel of Death.

  Moldy comes flying at me. I dodge and he whizzes past. Turning, I draw my weapon.

  And he draws his. That blaster thing he arrived with. He shoots.