Up and over! Morris yelled.
Together, they vaunted up onto the hoods of the cars, jumped down on the other side, and broke into a run. When they were twenty feet away, they turned to see that the group of Ethereals who had fallen under the control of Zatera’s mind were only thirty feet away and approaching fast. The four had gained some ground on them, but not much.
Mike, now.
Jane, give me your hand, Mike said. Jane reached out and locked palms with him. She closed her eyes and concentrated, once again extending her power to him.
Remember, Mike, don’t hold back, Morris said.
Mike nodded in his direction, then turned forward again. Thanks, Jane. OK. I can see the batteries. Ready? But he didn’t wait for an answer.
Sparks came from beneath the cars first. A second later, it was as though a fireworks display had been set off beneath them. Then the large battery in the white vehicle exploded. The car rose a foot off the ground, then crashed back down, sending plumes of flame billowing from beneath it. The Ethereals on the other side raised their arms reflexively and slowed down. The battery in the blue car exploded, and the force knocked it up and away from the white car by a foot so a gap formed between them. Now flames were creeping out and licking upward around either side of the cars.
Mike, that’s enough—
Before Morris could finish talking, Jane took a sharp breath as she felt Mike grasp her hand tightly. She glanced down at it. Then, from in front, a burst of fire lit up the street. She looked back as the flames exploded outward from beneath both cars and rose upward, almost entirely engulfing them. The Ethereals who had been chasing them stopped dead in their tracks. The windows in the white car blew out, sending splinters of glass onto the street in either direction. The flames continued to spread dramatically, shooting out from the front side of either car, covering both sides of the street. On the right side, where the white car was, the flames spread toward another dark red vehicle closer to the group of Ethereals, who appeared unsure about what to do. They scanned the road on either side, looking for a way to cross. The flames at the center were now roiling and ten feet high.
Jane and her friends took a step back. Just before she let go of Mike’s hand, the battery in the wine-red car behind the white one exploded, sending the vehicle into the air. It slammed back down onto the street and its windows smashed. Within seconds, flames were reaching out from it toward the road. By this point, a wall of fire covered the entire street from side to side.
Jane glanced at Morris, who turned and caught her gaze. After a moment, they nodded.
That will do it, Mike, Morris said as he turned his gaze back to him.
The three had stepped behind him, but Mike appeared unresponsive, and the flames were spreading. Another blast of fire shot out from the red car, covering half the street in a thick plume and coming dangerously close to the group of Ethereals, who now ran backward and away from it.
Jane leaped forward toward him. Mike! That’s enough. We don’t want to hurt them. When he didn’t respond, she pursed her lips and grabbed his shoulder. She frowned, shocked at how tense his body was. She heard him let out a breath; the tension fell from him as he began to breathe. Looking forward, Jane saw that the wall of fire was still intact and protecting them, but was dying down. You got them, she said. Confirming this, she looked up and saw that the Ethereals on the other side were turning and walking in that same zombie-like fashion back the way they had come. Jane was glad they were walking, for it confirmed their suspicions that if they could break their concentration on following them, they would resume their course toward the object that awaited them out on the ocean, and whatever fate they would find there. Jane felt sorry them, and grimaced for the briefest of moments. Then she turned her attention back to her friend as he turned to face her.
Mike looked in her eyes. “I’m sorry, I lost control. I was angry.”
Jane nodded. “We’re all angry.”
“But there’s a lot of that to go around,” Morris interjected, “and I think…before this is over, we’ll have plenty of places to vent our frustrations.”
“He’s right,” Ciara added.
Jane and Mike walked back in the other direction to join Morris and Ciara. The four continued down the street, walking away from the fire. For a moment, there was silence. Then, surprising them all, Mike spoke.
“So, I guess the lesson for now is, don’t interfere with these zombies.”
They all glanced at him.
Morris chuckled. “Right. Exactly.”
Ciara smiled, but with a hint of resignation. “They want to get to this…”
“Tower. Whatever it is, or is going to be. Let’s just let them for now,” Jane said, finishing Ciara’s sentence. “At this point, we can’t do much else about it.”
They walked in silence. After a few moments, Morris moved closer to Jane and put his arm around her. She looked up at him lovingly and smiled, suddenly overwhelmed by his presence; to her, he seemed like some incredible sentry.
So, what was that thing that lit up in your hand, Jane?
She looked away, unprepared for such a question. She hadn’t even had the time to think about it herself. Uh, I’m not sure exactly.
He smirked and glanced at her again. Well, that sure is a lie, he said, taking a deep breath.
Her eyes darted for a moment as she searched for a way to avoid the subject and having to think about the Rose again—what it had given her, and exactly what it had meant by its cryptic words. Whenever her mind drifted to the subject, she found herself worrying—terrified almost—about things she couldn’t explain and things she couldn’t grasp. Thankfully, she didn’t need to, as Morris gave her a pass and changed the subject.
Hmm. If Zatera is building this tower out on the ocean, and drawing these Ethereals toward him, why would he have them come after us?
Jane thought about this for a moment. With the briefest of glances at her right hand, which she had reached up and placed in Morris’s, she returned her attention to the road. I don’t know, she responded. She had her suspicions, though, and they scared her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Morris glance at her again, but she ignored him and stared straight ahead.
***
A hundred or so brave souls had gathered at Roosevelt Beach to see the enormity of the crystalline structure that had so recently formed there, though they stood back quite a distance from it. Claudia watched them from the boardwalk. She gazed out now as one man approached the shore. Her eyes narrowed as he walked slowly up the surface of the bridge. Reaching down, he laid his fingers flat against the structure, and water washed up around his feet. In the hour or so since it had formed, the lights that had initially flashed along its surface had gradually disappeared, as though whatever mystical energy had been used to construct it had now dissipated. Still, something else was troubling Claudia. Out in the distance, where the bridge narrowed on the horizon to a single point, the clouds above that exact location swirled toward each other slowly. Claudia had noticed this within the first ten minutes of the bridge’s appearance, but now the effect was much more obvious. She was just as concerned about what was happening out there as she was about the bridge.
Claudia sighed as the man stood up, looked out across the water, and then walked back to the group with which he had come. Turning around, she saw that her crew was ready. Josh, the lead technician, glanced at her and nodded, confirming that they had finished setting up the camera rig. They had sent her usual team, but this time, she had full access to the company’s complement of drones, and she was considering when would be the best time to use them. They had already retrieved some footage by using one of their most basic devices, and they planned to broadcast it, but the quality was not good enough. With another quick glance behind her, Claudia thought about a thing she really wanted to do—send one of the more advanced units across the water to get accurate information about the structure they had seen in the video footage
from the first drone. However, she was almost afraid to do so. The very thought of it caused her to tremble.
“Your mic is good to go,” Josh said, giving her a thumbs up.
“Are we going online?”
“Whenever you’re ready.”
“Do it. Five-second countdown.”
“OK. Going online in five, four, three.” Josh stopped and held up two fingers, then one, then pursed his lips and took position behind the transparent sheet of glass housing the camera.
Claudia began her address, reading the piece she had written from a well-lit, transparent glass panel next to the camera.
“As I walked across Franklin Roosevelt Beach this morning, this structure behind me approached in the most fascinating way. It first rushed upon the shore from a vast distance as a ball of light and what appeared to be swirling clouds of energy.” Claudia paused. “When the light receded, only the crystal remained. At first, the object pulsed with flashes that looked like lightning out on the ocean. However, now the light that once illuminated this strange object has vanished, and not much reflection appears on the surface of what can only be described as a bridge. The obvious question is, where does this bridge lead?”
She paused and took a breath, realizing that this was probably the most important address she had ever given. Something told her that it was, in fact, the most important thing she had ever done in her life.
“We have some drone footage which we will play for you now.” Again, she paused. When Josh gave her the thumbs up, indicating that the footage was being transmitted, she continued. “We apologize for the quality of the image, but we lost track of the initial drone before we could get accurate data. This is the closest we could get. As you can see, the bridge connects to some kind of massive structure—a platform. It looks to be made of similar material, and it has formed roughly five miles off the coast of our city. It appears to be well over a thousand feet in diameter—far larger than the width of the bridge—and is suspended in the water by unknown means, which could suggest another structure of some kind is supporting it beneath the surface. There have been no reports about the construction of any such object, and the dramatic means by which I myself saw this bridge appear suggests that it is not man-made in origin.”
Josh waved his hand.
Claudia nodded. “I’m afraid that’s the only footage we were able to get before we lost contact with that particular drone.”
She stopped speaking and glanced at another member of her team, who was motioning for her to look behind. Doing her best to not frown, she glanced over her shoulder. Claudia squinted, and for a moment noticed nothing unusual. Then she spotted movement in the distance on the left, and her hand automatically went to her chest. She gaped as she saw what he was referring to: a group of young people—some teenagers and some who appeared old enough to possibly be in their early twenties—were walking in unison with an intent that could not be mistaken. With a quick glance toward the edge of the bridge, Claudia immediately and accurately concluded that they were moving straight toward it. She looked back at them once more to confirm the most troubling thing about this new troop: Their eyes were glowing with blue light. When they were a hundred feet from the edge where the crystal met the sand, Claudia had more than enough confirmation that that’s where they were headed.
Composing herself, she pulled her gaze away and turned back to face the camera. “An unusual development has just occurred here at Roosevelt Beach. A group of young people, mostly teenagers, scores of them in fact, have begun arriving and are…” She glanced over her shoulder to confirm her report as the first ones reached the edge and stepped onto it. Looking back toward the camera, she continued, “…are walking directly onto the bridge.” Looking over her shoulder again, she watched, awestruck. They now had their backs to her, and they had begun walking straight out across the crystalline structure. The blue light from their eyes flared as each of them turned and began trekking across the blue-white platform.
“I can now confirm that these people are, without any hesitation, walking across this structure. What their intentions are, we can only guess.” Claudia paused, trying to maintain her composure. “Stay with us. We’re remaining here at Roosevelt Beach, a place I’ve heard several people here refer to now as ‘The Crystal Beach,’ and I may add that this description is quite apt. We will continue to update you with any further developments.”
Claudia watched as Josh panned the camera to capture a full shot of the young people, whom she presumed were Ethereals. She remained motionless, forcing her body to stay frozen, but the second she detected that she was out of view of the camera, she took a deep breath, quickly followed by several others behind the camera, and placed a hand on her forehead.
“Your audio feed is off,” she heard Josh say from over her shoulder.
“Oh my God,” she said as she scrambled back toward the small crew, where she immediately felt safer. “What is it? What on earth is happening?”
Josh half smiled, half grimaced as he looked at her and shrugged. As he offered no suggestions, Claudia returned her attention to the bridge. Now she could see that on the surface where the Ethereals walked, new, smaller flashes of light were erupting at their feet as they fell across the structure. After twenty minutes had passed, their numbers had risen to more than a hundred, and as they receded into the distance, the flashes of light that erupted on the crystal surface bathed them in bright cocoons. This created the appearance that they were disappearing and reappearing. Claudia watched with one hand clasped to her chin. Her eyes were wide open in an expression of pure awe.
***
Following Ciara’s instincts, the four had made their way to One World Trade Center, and had settled just outside the tall, magnificent building occupying the focus of that area. As they stood in front of the closed building, the sun had reached its zenith and had just begun its descent in the sky. The streets were almost completely devoid of civilians, save for one or two who ran this way or that, seeming to be in a hurry. What the four were really watching were the remaining Ethereals as they continued tracing their way south through the city, disappearing along the various roads ahead of them.
Based on their previous, perilous encounter, Ciara had increased the psychic protection she had afforded them. Now, still in their zombie-like state, the Ethereals paid them little attention as they continued onward.
Jane took a step forward and folded her arms, bracing herself against the light spring breeze, which still carried a chill. Where are they going? she asked. At first, there was no reply, and after a moment she turned to face her friends. Their eyes shifted here and there as their gazes drifted from one Ethereal to another.
I can still hear his voice, Ciara replied. She spoke gently, so that in their minds, it sounded almost like a whisper. They knew now to speak low and discreetly to avoid being heard. Ciara squinted as she stared off into the distance—into the space between the buildings. If I listen closely, I can hear a cacophonous sound. Well…it’s like a voice saying the same things over and over. The main instruction is to go to Franklin Roosevelt Beach. Most of them are using a ferry to get there; they’ve taken control of it and are using it to transport themselves to Staten Island.
Should we go there? Morris asked.
For a moment, none of them answered.
Then, finally, Jane spoke. No. I think we’ve come too far already—and we’ve seen what we needed to see. We should go back the way we came. She glanced left, diagonally down the street, in the direction of the ocean. I can feel it, out over the horizon. It’s forming. Can’t you? Power is coming off it in waves. It’s reaching into the city now.
Yes, I feel it too, Ciara said. And Jane’s right. We can’t go near that. We have to stay away from it, and where they’re going. At least until Max comes back.
Morris shifted. True. And if we go any farther, there’s a chance you might not be able to protect us, right?
Ciara turned to him and nodde
d. Yes. I can find that power here, far away from the structure that Zatera is building. But the closer we get, the more difficult it is. I can imagine that if we were to move out there, it would be far more difficult. She paused and glanced in the same direction Jane was looking. We should go back the way we came.
They all turned forward as a hurried male civilian walked onto the road directly ahead of the grounds surrounding the building. He was walking haphazardly between the Ethereals and he seemed terrified. He glanced at some of them as they passed. In the previous few minutes, the number of Ethereals had increased. Now several dozen sets of shining blue eyes were crossing the streets in front of them, all heading in a southerly direction. They formed a confluence as they crossed over Liberty Street, then headed onto Greenwich Street and continued in that direction.
He’s taking anyone who can hear the signal, Ciara said, her voice dripping with concern. Some of them probably don’t even have a lot of ability, but he’ll take anything he can get. He needs all the power he can to construct this object.
What exactly is he building, Ciara? Morris asked. What is the crystal tower?
Ciara looked at him. I’ve seen it. In its finished form.
Jane glanced at her and sighed. I’ve seen it, too. Flashes of it, that is. In my mind.
Ciara nodded. It’s magnificent. Incredibly beautiful, but also incredibly powerful and…dangerous. She looked at the ground before continuing. I’ve already seen the base, practically with my own eyes. But that’s not the problem. That’s just the start. The problem is what he’s building on top of it.
Yes—the tower, Mike added.
I can’t fathom much about this “Nexus” that Max spoke of—the thing he’s searching for. She half-frowned, half-squinted. The information Max gave us was… She glanced up at Jane.
Minimal at best, Jane said after a moment, raising her right eyebrow.
Right. Ciara looked at the group of the last remaining Ethereals as they made their way down the street in front of them. But one thing’s for certain. When it’s constructed—
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