Shifters (The Neturu Chronicles Book 3)

by Sarah Carter

  “I have a feeling I am going to have to carry a sword with me,” Claire declares, taking in a deep breath.

  Aurora smiles. “Are you going to go all ninja on someone?” She does a splicing motion through the air.

  “My theory is if The Collector is immortal or ages slowly, beheading may be our only option.”

  “That’s a good thought,” Damien replies. “But we want to capture if possible.”

  “So, what, they can escape in the future,” Ariel snaps. “They are sick and twisted. They need to die.”

  Shifting his weight, Damien says, “But there is so much we need to learn from them. Like who they are. What they were trying to achieve. Are they originally from Jiub? We will have them imprisoned and under the highest security.”

  Mommy. Claire jerks back. She spins in a circle. “What in the hell was that?”

  “What was what?” Damien asks.

  “You didn’t hear that?” Claire asks.

  “No one said anything.”

  She shakes her head and looks around. “I just heard a little girl say Mommy.”

  “Claire, there are no kids on the ship,” Damien half laughs.

  “Damien, I’m being serious.”

  “Okay honey,” he snorts.

  Mommy, come. Come now. Claire completely stumbles backwards. “Oh my god. I heard it again.”

  “Claire,” Damien counters. “No one said anything.”

  “I know. It’s in my head.” She shakes her head in confusion.

  Mommy. Talk to me. You have to come. Time is running out.

  Against her better judgement, Claire says, “Who…is…this?”

  “Who are you talking to?” Damien asks, looking really confused.

  Mommy is silly. Lexi needs Mommy to come.

  “Xander,” Claire whispers. “Move out of the scanner.”

  “Why?” He inquires.

  “Just do it,” she snaps.

  He moves out and Claire steps in. “Your name is Lexi?”

  Mommy, I…can’t…talk to you…in…there.

  “What in the world,” Mr. Paulson exhales looking at the computer screen.

  “Lexi, who are you?” Claire asks.

  Mommy…you will find out…soon. Lexi need to go.

  “Why are you calling me Mommy?”

  Because, that’s what you are. My Mommy. I have to go. Come soon Mommy.

  “Lexi,” Claire says. “Lexi.” She pauses. “Lexi!”

  “What in the hell is going on?” Damien snaps.

  “Your brain activity increased three fold,” Mr. Paulson says. “I have never seen anything like it. It was highly centered around our communication area.”

  Still feeling a little shocked, Claire says, “I was talking to a little girl.”

  Damien snorts. “Yeah, okay.”

  “She said her name was Lexi,” Claire emphasizes. “She kept calling me Mommy. It was weird.”

  “Hearing voices is weird? You don’t say?”

  Throwing a steely glare at her boyfriend, Claire says, “Shut up Damien. It really happened.”

  He turns to Dr. Galliger. “Could she be hearing voices because of being a succubus?”

  Dr. Galliger looks back at the computer screen. “I don’t know if that would explain the brain activity. I didn’t even think our brain could run on that capacity.”

  “She said to come. I needed to come. She sounded urgent,” Claire states.

  “Claire. It’s a voice in your head. Not a real person. We have no idea what the side effects are of being a succubus. There isn’t a little girl in your head.”

  “What if she’s pregnant,” Aurora suggests.

  “What!” Claire and Damien yell at the same time.

  “She’s not pregnant,” Dr. Galliger says. “Her brain activity has fallen back to normal.”

  Claire presses her lips together. “It really happened.”

  “If I said I heard voices in my head, would you believe me that it was real?” Damien asks. “I think not. I think you would be concerned for me. Which I am for you.”

  “Damien. It wasn’t me being crazy. I was talking to a little girl.”

  “Claire, stop. We will figure out why you were hearing a voice. You don’t need to get defensive and come up with excuses.”

  She clenches her fists and takes deep breathes. “I’m talking out of this room right now. For your health and well-being, do not follow me.”

  “Claire,” Damien exhales.

  Pointing her finger at him, she seethes, “I mean it Damien. Stay away from me.”

  “I don’t mean to tell you anything Master Damien but Claire may be right,” Dr. Galliger says. “If it was her brain making it up, I think the activity would be centered around a different part of her brain. It was around the communication center of the brain. She very well could have been talking to someone.”

  Damien’s head drops forward. “You’re saying that she may be telling the truth?”

  Dr. Galliger shrugs and looks at the screen. “I can’t tell you for sure. She just was never shown abnormal brain activity before like this.”

  “The girl was communicating with me. It wasn’t just a voice saying ‘Damien’s a jackass’. She was telling me to come to her. She had a harder time communicating while I was in the scanner. I mean, she knew I was in there,” Claire says, thrusting her hands out.

  “Which makes me believe you are hearing voices instead of talking to a little girl,” Damien replies.

  Claire thrusts out her hands. “She told me to come before it’s too late.”

  “Come where?”

  “I don’t know,” Claire says hotly. She turns to Xander. “Is there a Lexi by you?”

  Xander shakes his head. “No. You think she’s Neturu?”

  “It’s sort of like Trinity.”

  “There’s no Lexi. Plus Trinity has to meet up with you in Shima first. She can’t just project into someone.”

  Shuffling her foot, Claire looks down in defeat. “I don’t know. She kept calling my Mommy.”

  “Well, you don’t have any kids, do you?” Damien asks.

  She looks up at him and gives him a dead pan stare. “Yes, a dozen,” she replies sarcastically. “No, of course I don’t have kids. I have only been with you and Alex. Haven’t had a baby yet.”

  Dr. Galliger finally pipes in. “Xander, are you sure there’s no Lexi by you? Someone who could have these abilities?”

  Shaking his head again, Xander says, “No, no Lexi. Like I said no one else showed any signs of extra abilities.”

  Damien sighs, “Let’s just see if it happens again. Not think too much into it.”

  Claire clenches her hands together. “She said now, Damien.”

  “Claire, what do you want to do? We don’t have any information that says it’s real. Just your feeling. She’s calling you Mommy. That’s as weird as the voice in your head. Let’s just concentrate on what we can. Xander should get back into the scanner. See if we can get more readings off of him. Maybe this Lexi has something to do with them. They are making you generate energy. Maybe they are doing this, too.”

  “Making me hear voices,” Claire scoffs.

  “We know nothing, so it’s possible. Honestly, anything is possible at this point.”

  “Yeah, it could be possible for me to really be talking to a little girl.”

  Finally, Damien nods. “Yes, it could be possible.”

  “Thanks for at least admitting that much!”

  “Claire,” Damien groans.

  “Damien, save it. Let’s keep going with Xander. We need to find the institute. Maybe she’s there.”

  Xander says, “She’s not.”

  “Well then I am on a quest to find a little girl someplace else. Let’s test you anyway.”

  Mr. Paulson points and says, “Xander, please get back into the scanner and pick up the chair.”

  Xander does as he’s told. “When are you going to have me do something hard?”

 
“In due time,” Mr. Paulson replies. “Let’s get gradual readings.”

  “Okay,” Xander says. Claire sees a chair lifted up in the air. Xander looks at her and rolls his eyes.

  “Now, lift the table,” Mr. Paulson instructs. The chair is lowered and the table is suddenly to the ceiling. Xander grins. “The disc and energy increases when you do more difficult activities. That’s not surprising.”

  Dr. Galliger, who is at a different computer panel, says, “Wait, I may have found something.”

  “What?” Damien says, walking over to him.

  “Aurora, get into the scanner.”

  She walks over to it and trades places with Xander. “Okay, now what?”

  “Shift into something.”

  “Anything?” She responds.

  Turning around, Dr. Galliger says, “Yes.” Aurora is suddenly a leprechaun. “There it is! Your discs send off a ping.”

  Damien asks, “Can that help you track it to the institute?”

  “We will need to do some calculating, but yes.”

  Aurora finally raises her hand. “Do you have enough info on us? I’m getting hungry.”

  “Yes,” Mr. Paulson says. “We need to get on top of this. We have these three things to work on.”

  “Mr. Grandin is sending out a fake viral video of a unicorn,” Damien declares.

  Ariel scoffs, “A unicorn? Mason will not think it’s me. Maybe Aurora, but not me.”

  “What would you turn into then?”

  “Bigfoot,” Ariel states, with a nod of her head.

  “Bigfoot?” Damien chuckles.

  “I always joked around about bigfoot really being a Neturu. I said I would turn into one and terrorize a whole bunch of people.”

  A smirk twitches on Damien’s face. “So, we need to make a video of Bigfoot scaring people?”

  She nods. “Yes. He’ll know it’s me. Then we need to get me there.”

  “They have to come up with gloves first,” Damien says.

  Claire adds in, “And a cuff.”

  “That also.”

  Aurora rubs her stomach. “They can do that. We seriously eat a lot and I’m starving.”

  “We’ll get you something right now,” Damien says.

  Chapter 11

  Xander

  "Yeah, food sounds great," Xander agrees.

  Suddenly, he hears a light voice say, "Xander?"

  He spins around. "Trinity!"

  She wrings her hands and looks around. "Where are you?" She asks.

  Xander steps closer to her. "Someplace safe." He reaches out for her. "Are you okay?"

  Trinity grasps his hand. "Yes. The Collector believes me. I said you were in Australia. I told them I swore I wouldn't say anything. They think I betrayed you." Xander's smile falls into a frown. "What is that look for?" Trinity asks.

  "You can't tell them where we are."

  Vigorously, shaking her head. Trinity says, “I didn’t. I would never do that. Are you on a ship? That’s why you are worried.”

  Frowning, Xander replies, “I’m not going to say.”

  “Either you on a Neturu ship or a very elaborate movie set. Either way I will be excited. I vote for movie.” She smiles her beautiful smile that melts his heart.

  He laughs. “Trinity makes a joke.”

  “I do have a sense of humor once in a while.” She pauses and looks around. “I’m glad you are on a ship. That means you’re safe.”

  Mr. Paulson walks over to Xander. “Are you talking to Trinity?”

  “Yes.”

  “Can you get into the scanner?”

  Xander turns around and points to the machine. “He wants me to get in there.”

  Trinity steps up to the scanner and looks at it. “He wants to see what happens while you can see me.”

  “Yes.”

  A smile creeps across her face. “Okay.”

  He walks over and steps into the scanner. Trinity immediately starts disappear. “Whoa, she’s fading in and out.” With her face scrunching up, Trinity says, “Xander, I can’t keep hold.”

  “Just try baby.”

  She shakes her head. “It’s making me tired.”

  “Okay, I’ll get out,” Xander replies.

  Dr. Galliger looks at the screen. “We have enough readings.”

  He steps out of the scanner. “Okay.”

  Trinity steps up to Xander. “Can I talk to you alone?” She whispers.

  Turning to Damien, Xander says, “I’m going to step into the hallway.”

  Damien frowns. “I don’t know.”

  “It’s okay for her to see in here but not a blank, empty hallway,” Xander half laughs.

  “Good point,” Damien snorts. “Go ahead.”

  Xander walks out of the room and shuts the door. Trinity appears next to him. “Now, what’s up?”

  She presses her lips together. “Who are those people?”

  “I can’t tell you Trinity.”

  “I just don’t want them to hear you talking to me,” Trinity murmurs, stepping up close to him.

  Tracing his fingers down her face, Xander asks, “What can’t they hear?”

  “When I say I love you.”

  “I love you too, baby.”

  Trinity wraps her arms around him and places her head on his chest. “I don’t them to hear you say that.”

  “Why? They know I do,” he states, pulling her face up to his.

  “Really?”

  “Of course. I will proclaim to the world that I love you,” Xander promises.

  “What if The Collector finds out?” Trinity asks, panic in her eyes.

  He shakes his head. “They won’t. We’re coming to get you and they are going to take care of The Collector.”

  Backing up, Trinity gasps, “No, they can’t kill them.”

  “There may be no other choice.”

  “Xander…”

  “Trinity, it abuses us,” he emphasizes. “It’s scarred my entire body. Does it have to kill one of us to make you see?” Xander sees her face fall. “What Trinity? What’s wrong?”

  “One of the kids has shown a power,” she replies.

  Xander asks, “What? What power?”

  “Jennifer, she…” Trinity says. Suddenly, she looks to the side. “I have to go.”

  “Trinity!” Xander yells. She disappears. “Damn it.” He rushes back into the room. Everyone stops and looks at him. “We have a problem.”

  “What?” Damien asks.

  He takes a deep breath. “One of the kids has shown a power. Jennifer. She’s 7.”

  “Oh god,” Ariel gasps, putting her hand to her chest. “Not Jennifer. What will they do to her?”

  “What’s her power?” Damien asks.

  Shaking his head, Xander replies, “I don’t know. Trinity had to leave before she could tell me. The problem is The Collector has it out for her already. She is a little pistol. Jennifer has been punished numerous times. If she has an ability, I don’t know what they are going to do.”

  Mr. Paulson says, “We are going to get started on all of this right away.”

  Claire puts her hand on her stomach. “Okay, my stomach is yelling at me now. Need food.”

  “Oh good. It’s not just us,” Aurora sighs.

  “Hell no. I’m just glad someone finally eats as much as I do. I don’t feel like a pig anymore.”

  “We ate more than anyone else, by a lot.”

  “Well, let’s go eat before I wither away.”

  They all turn towards the door when Dr. Galliger says, “Just one comment.”

  Damien turns around. “What’s that?”

  “Xander showed the same increase of brain activity as Claire. Claire’s was just more significant. Xander was two times and Claire was three. I don’t know how the differing species has effect on someone.”

  Yelling, Claire says, “So, I was talking to a little girl!”

  Dr. Galliger nods. “My assumption is that you were.”

  “See! Told
you!” She snaps at Damien.

  “But who is the little girl? If there’s no one named Lexi at the institute.”

  Claire shakes her head. “I don’t know, but I have to find her.”

  Ariel says, “Maybe she’ll come to you again.”

  “Hopefully. If she is real, I hope she can come to me.”

  “I’m going to turn on all your sensors Claire,” Dr. Galliger states. “To the full effect. Is that alright with you?”

  “No going into my head Dr. G.”

  “Claire,” he replies, giving her a look. “We can do that but rarely ever have.”

  Xander gasps, “You can read thoughts!?”

  Damien steps towards the door. “Sharing time is over. Let’s go get something to eat.”

  “Answer me,” Xander snaps. “Can you read thoughts with these things on?” He points to his temple.

  “Not those,” Dr. Galliger replies. “Claire has different sensors.”

  “You’re okay with that?” He asks her.

  Claire nods. “I need more in depth sensors because of who I am and what I can do. It’s mostly to make sure I don’t hurt myself.”

  “I will not be okay with that,” Xander emphasizes.

  “I’d rather be safe than sorry and I know they wouldn’t do anything unless something drastic happened and I went rogue,” Claire replies.

  “Why would you go rogue?”

  She shrugs. “We really know nothing of this succubus thing. We just need to be safe in case I go crazy.”

  Ariel inquires, “But…if nothing takes you down, how would they stop you?”

  “No idea.”

  “We have a way,” Damien interjects. “But, that’s nothing up for discussion. Let’s go get you food.”

  Grabbing him, Claire stops Damien. “What do you mean you have a way? You have something that would stop me?”

  “This discussion ends here. Let’s go to the cafeteria.”

  “No, answer me,” she demands.

  Damien sighs. “Claire, if we needed an emergency plan to neutralize you, why would we tell you any part of it?”

  “Yeah, I know,” she replies. “But, it’s scary that you can neutralize me.”

  “The only reason we ever would is because you’ve gotten out of control. We’d never use it for any other reason,” Damien reassures her. He takes her hands in his. “Trust me, okay?”

  “I guess it’s a good thing,” Claire agrees.