by John Corwin
"Don't worry," Anil said. "It took me years to reach my level and I'm still far behind those who taught me."
"See, that's a problem. The aliens need to be stopped for good now. We don't have years."
"You're right. I think it's time."
"For what?"
"Time to know our invaders. Time to invade their bodies."
Chapter 14
I was gung-ho as Anil and I flitted back to Atlanta and my neighborhood. I couldn't wait to take one of those Octos over and see what sort of damage I could wreak. But upon seeing the aliens again, the thought of touching them made me ill. They looked just as oily, scary and nasty as I'd remembered them. My merge with the Sst had been out of desperation. Maybe that state of mind would have enabled me to merge with the Octos without an issue, but I was in far too sane a place to scoot willy-nilly into one of these things.
Anil sensed my hesitation and nodded. "Perhaps it's best if I do this anyway. You tend to beat yourself up."
I felt heat rise in my face. "Hey, I'm the one who merged with the Sst. You think I can't possess one of the Octos?"
"Oh you can do it for sure. But with your reckless method, you'll surely end up harming yourself and learning very little."
He was right and I knew it. But when someone tells me I'm incapable of doing something it really ticks me off. "How about this. You pick one and I'll pick another. Let's see who gets the most information out of the exchange."
He smiled and shook his head, then took me by the shoulders and narrowed his eyes at me. "Be careful, Lucy. This is no game."
"You too, Anil."
The Octos were asleep in what I guessed were the living quarters. That is if anyone considered a smelly humid room with a shallow pool of green ooze on the floor a place to live. Apparently the Octos did. I shuddered to think what their home world looked like. I wondered if they planned on turning Earth into one big ooze bucket. The Octos slept in a tangle of tentacles in the green muck. Some slept next to each other, their tentacles wrapped around each other, while others slept in their own sections. The room was about the size of a gymnasium so personal space wasn't an issue.
Anil drifted over to a solitary Octo and assumed the meditative position. I sidled up to another single Octo as well. I didn't want to risk taking over an Octo that was engaging in whatever passed for sex with those things. I went through Anil's meditation checklist until my mind was blank. The moment I realized I was there, I forced myself to think only about the Octo next to me. I pressed my hand to what I figured was its head and felt the slimy soft skin. I shuddered and fought to keep focused on my breathing.
I relaxed my physical state and my hand slid inside the creature. A flood of bizarre and nonsensical images barraged me. Somehow I fought them back until only a trickle came through. Anil's own experiences with the gorilla came back to me, how he'd probed the animal's mind, adjusting his own being to accept the alien feel. The Octo felt a hell of a lot more alien but not much more than the Sst. We were both carbon-based creatures, so it couldn't be that much different from any other animal, right?
The big difference, it seemed, was the sentient aspect of this thing. The Sst felt intelligent, but primal, like a caveman with a big club. I could sense deeper intelligence in the Octo. I allowed more of its memory stream through. The images were scattered and in no particular order. It was like trying to unravel video feeds from a hundred different movies that were playing all at once. In addition to the visual stimulation, sounds, smells, and sensations came through with some but not all of it. I supposed it was like most memories. Some left stronger imprints than others.
After puzzling over images, I started to see common patterns and was able to winnow out the static until only one memory remained. Unfortunately that one memory grossed me out big time. A mass of tentacles swarmed. They squeezed and slid over each other, writhing. Another Octo looked back at me--well at the Octo I was in. It spoke in its trumpeting language. I also heard other minute sounds like tiny smacks that accompanied the trumpets. I realized there were nuances to the pitch and tone of each trumpet. And I understood what was being said, at least my host did. I also realized with a start that my host was female. She felt warm and fuzzy. Kind of like I did when I cozied up with a good book after a long day. But it was more than that.
I realized what her feelings associated with this memory meant because it reminded me most of how I felt when Chris and I made love. This was Octo sex. But instead of being repulsed, I felt happy. It felt amazing. I knew I must be experiencing my host's feelings. Another memory stream started pressing in to this one. I didn't want to let it go, but more images flashed, garbling the session.
I see a Sst, its eyes glowing with scarlet hatred as it spins toward the forward window of the harvester. I glance down, use my tentacle to shift the harvester in reverse, but the Sst is too fast. I scream in fear as the Sst tears into the harvester, its long legs ripping through the metal. I see metal tear into Drri. I scream again, this time in grief as my mate calls my name one last time before he dies.
I pulled out and sat sobbing and shivering with fright. That was intense. I looked again at my sleeping host. She stirred, her tentacles raking through the green muck. I reached out a hand and touched her bulbous head and stroked it. This time I felt no revulsion. This time I felt sympathy. I felt horrible guilt. I'd killed her mate. Even worse, I knew she and her kind were not responsible for killing us. There was something gentle in her. Something that made violence alien to her. I couldn't stop crying. Her memories felt so personal to me. Like they were part of me.
I don't know how much time passed, but Anil's hand on my shoulder guided me out of the Octo's ship and into the night. I looked at him with what I'm sure was a pitiful expression because his eyes grew concerned.
"What did you see?" he asked.
I told him. He nodded and looked back at the cube.
"My host was also greatly saddened by the tragedy. He's what we might call a biomechanic, and is responsible for maintaining the harvesting creatures."
"I didn't learn anything useful. Damn I suck at this."
Anil smiled. "On the contrary. You succeeded beyond my wildest expectations."
I rolled my eyes. "Don't patronize me."
"I'm not. You selected a single stream of memory and held it. You aligned yourself so closely with your host that you felt what she felt. Her experiences became your own."
"Really? I did okay after all?"
"Yes. Did you learn its language?"
"I guess. Don't ask me to speak it though. I don't have an elephant snout. It also made smacking noises that flavored whatever it said. I don't know how else to describe that."
"Very good analogy. Some Earthly languages are spoken with minute changes in tone and pitch, and some are even spoken with clicks of the tongue. The Rrilk language bears similar characteristics adapted to by their interesting facial structure."
"The Rrilk, eh?" I remembered that word from my interaction with Zhrrii, my host. "It sounded more like 'Rruulk' to me."
"I think we'll have problems transliterating their language to ours. Most of their words have a rolling 'r' in them."
"Because they play their language like an instrument. I doubt my human hearing could even pick up all the intonations or modifiers," I said.
"We'll simply have to make do." Anil stared up at the sky for a moment, drawing in a long breath. "We have a lot of work ahead of us."
"Should we include my friends?"
"Of course. Although our interaction was brief, my host felt an increasing sense of danger, as if some outside pressure would be brought to bear if the harvesting does not proceed soon."
"So they're going to resume the cleanup?"
"Very soon. I get the sense that the other Rrilk crews across the world are chalking this up as a freak accident."
"We need to convince them it wasn't."
"I don't recommend you possess another Sst. Those beings are prone to great violence and more Rrilk could be harmed."
Before my merge with Zhrrii, I probably would've responded with a flippant, "So what?" and proceeded on my merry way to let loose another wave of destruction, but now I felt like I actually knew one of them. Zhrrii felt close to me, almost like a friend. Twisted, right? All of a sudden I felt drained which concerned me. What if I risked fading out like I'd done with Nick? I told Anil about it and asked if he felt the same way.
"Of course I'm tired, but you have to realize we're experiencing a spiritual drain, not a bodily one. Our minds are still very much linked to the prison of flesh we called our bodies and as such translate our new feelings into ones we can understand."
"Well it's a good thing I figured out how to sleep then."
"What you're actually doing is entering a period of stimulus deprivation."
"Uhm, okay, Mr. Smarty." I really wanted to stimulus deprive myself but felt a sense of urgency about the Rrilk and their plans. I called Chris but he didn't answer. Kyle answered immediately and showed up shortly after along with a new guy I hadn't met. I held my breath in anticipation of Bella showing up along with Kyle and giving me another earful. Thankfully she didn't. I felt really bummed that Chris hadn't answered me but plastered a happy grin on my face to cover up the disappointment.
"This is Mike," Kyle said, pointing to his companion. "Should we call Harb?"
"Do we have to?" Mike said. "That kid is getting on my nerves. Thinks he knows everything."
Kyle sighed. "I know, but he's advanced us more in a few days than we did in all the time before that."
"I found someone even better," I said and introduced Anil.
Kyle took his hand and shook it. Mike followed suit.
"You guys are in Octo central," Kyle said after looking around.
"They call themselves Rrilk," I said. "At least that's the closest approximation our mouths can make."
Anil made a funny elephant noise and smiled. "I think you're right."
I laughed. "Not even close."
"Let me get this straight." Kyle looked at me, then Anil. "You possessed the Octos--the Rrilk?"
"Yup," I said, nodding. "Anil is a master of meditation. He's a Tibetan monk and everything."
Anil held up a hand. "I'm actually an apprentice. And I'm far from being a master. Still, my techniques may offer less risk to those attempting a merge with living beings."
"That's great," Mike said. "What else did you learn while you were in those slimy bastards? Figure out a weakness we can use to kill them?"
"Uh," I said and looked at Anil. "We have a theory about the Rrilk."
"Dish, dudette," Kyle said. "What's the deal?"
"The Rrilk aren't the bad guys here."
Mike looked at me like I'd just sprouted tentacles myself and Kyle cocked his head.
"I hope you have a good explanation for that theory," Kyle said.
I told him Anil's neat little assassin-janitor analogy. Kyle wrinkled his forehead. Mike frowned.
"Don't take my word for it," I said. "Even though you should." I jabbed my finger at Kyle.
He put his hands up. "Whoa, cowgirl. It isn't that I don't believe you, but even you admit you're not sure. What if the Rrilk here are being paid to do this? Maybe they didn't kill us directly, but they're still in on the extermination. Janitors or not, they're just doing a job."
He had a point, I thought grudgingly. Why hadn't I thought of that? "Well, even if you're right, we still have a lot to figure out. Anil, would you go ahead and get them started?"
"I'd love to," he said with a big grin.
Anil took them away to a quiet place where they could relax their senses. I stared back into the open maw of the cube ship and thought of Zhrrii and the terrible pain I'd caused her. Despite the guilt, I knew I'd have to hurt more of them if I couldn't prevent the cleanup process. If it came down to it, I'd kill as many Rrilk as it took.
Chapter 15
Kyle and Mike returned with Anil a day later. I spent my time practicing my merges with Zhrrii. Each time I had to fight to retain my objectivity. She was gentle and sweet, at least by human standards. I didn't see how she could condone wholesale slaughter of a species. But there was still a ton I didn't know. It took a lot of concentration to winnow out all the interference in her thoughts and it wasn't like I could dig in her mind for specifics. She thought about things differently and placed importance on things other than what I wanted to know.
She kept thinking about an ocean of green ooze and a murky underwater place that I guessed might be her home. When she thought of children, she didn't think in terms of a couple of kids. For her, it was more like hundreds of spawn and the importance of having them. But something was preventing her. Something she didn't like to think about at all. I had a feeling that was something I needed to know.
Kyle and Mike chose their own Rrilk that night while the aliens slept. Anil thought it was a good idea to practice during sleep cycles since the Rrilk would catch on fast if they noticed their own kind freezing up during their daily duties for no reason. I disagreed. Maybe stuff like that would freak them out enough to delay the resumption of cleanup. Anil convinced us to wait longer.
More of our team showed up. Chris and Bella put in an appearance. Chris ignored me. Bella shot me a blazing look but Kyle managed to keep her from confronting me. I wanted so badly to talk to Chris about Nick. I needed to explain things to him. I waited until he returned from Anil's first session. He didn't need more crap clouding his thoughts.
After he returned from his orientation with Anil, I saw Chris talking with Kyle and Mike, away from the others. I decided now was a good time as any to have our little chat. I strolled over, trying to act nonchalant when a female flitted into their group. She hugged Chris, kissed him on the cheek and gave him a playful tug on the ear. I froze. Anger and jealousy joined their Wonder Twin Powers in my guts. The girl was Bethany Andrews. It was the first time I'd seen her since we had all died. I sure as hell knew she wasn't part of our alien resistance group. I fought the urge to flit over and backhand the bitch. Come to think of it, Chris needed a good bitch slap too.
I hadn't done a thing to deserve this betrayal.
Kyle looked in my direction and saw me standing there with my fists clenched. I probably had my teeth bared in a snarl too because he locked eyes with me and looked worried. He zipped over to me and blocked my view of the group.
"Calm down, Luce."
"What in the hell is she doing here?" I could barely squeeze the words out.
"I don't know. I haven't seen Chris much since you left."
"Get her out of here. Better yet, get them both out of here."
"Can't. We need them."
"No we don't."
"Ever since word got around that people were vanishing during failed possessions, we've been real shorthanded. Can't convince anyone to help us."
"And Bethany volunteered?"
"Yeah. She went in eyes open. Pretty brave."
I turned my murderous look on him. "Why the hell does she get called brave and yet everyone hates me for what I did?"
"Nobody hates you, Luce. Well, except Bella. She definitely hates you. Chris is just hurt. He feels like you cheated on him."
"That's a load of crap."
"Look, I'm just telling you the truth. You've already done more for the cause than anyone else, no matter what the rumors say."
"Rumors?"
"Yeah." He looked away and cleared his throat. "I don't know who started them."
"That's the way rumors work. Someone makes up crap about you and spreads it around like gospel. I think it was your girlfriend."
"We're not dating anymore."
"She broke up with you?"
"I broke up with her. I couldn't take the hatred. You're my friend, Luce. I've known you forever and I'm not letting anyone get between us."
My anger and tension melted away. My lower lip trembled but I held back the tears. "Thanks, Kyle."
He hugged me. "Hey, no worries. Let's forget all the politica
l bullshit going on and focus on the aliens. Once we stop them, we'll have eternity to sort out the other crap."
"Yeah." I pulled away. "How's your merging going?"
"Not bad. I'm still working on separating the different threads of thought. I don't think anyone is at your level yet except Anil."
"Anil is beyond most of us but even he hasn't fully taken over a Rrilk yet."
I didn't tell Kyle that I planned to do that very soon. Anil was slow and methodical. Nothing wrong with that, but I felt the time pressure pounding on me. The Rrilk had more Ssts in cryonic storage that they could use to replace the one I'd killed. The only thing preventing them from releasing another one now was their biomechanic's failure to discover a reason for the meltdown. Collectively, Anil and I had cobbled together enough information to know something was forcing the Rrilk to resume their progress. Otherwise something or someone named Shaval would take notice.
None of us had a clue what Shaval meant. It was, in fact, an uncharacteristic name for the Rrilk to use since it was very difficult for them to pronounce. When they said the word it sounded like air passing through a large kinked tube instead of their usual combination of rolling consonants. They also had another word for the Sst, but we'd become so accustomed to calling the large spider-cats by that name that we didn't bother switching terms.
Kyle thought Shaval might be a proper name. Maybe a ruler or ruling body. As I continued my merges with Zhrrii, I felt the acute fear associated with that name. Despite her gentle nature, she absolutely despised and feared Shaval. Other members of our task force found the same reactions from their Rrilk. And yet none of us could find a single visual memory of Shaval in any of our hosts.
I became obsessed with Zhrrii, merging with her nonstop. Although I was tired after each encounter, it wasn't anything like my first few merges with Nick, who, by the way, was apparently travelling north. Amazingly word hadn't yet slipped from our group about his existence. Only five of us knew about him. I felt a pang at the mentions of his name but didn't have time to deal with relationships or the crap that came along with them. Not with the high stakes we had to deal with now.