The Mystic Saga Omnibus (Books 1 - 5)

by Scott McElhaney

  Rescil handed the ceramic plate to the governor. The governor pretended to examine it, then handed it to his assistant.

  “Delivery. You’re telling me that this ceramic can survive temperatures of more than twenty million degrees?” he asked.

  “Yes, sir. If I made a rocket of this new ceramic, but formed it to be about ten times thicker than the sheet you’re holding, then we surround it by a pocket of air, then we surround that pocket by another ceramic shield of the same width… well, let’s just say that I could send you to the core of either of our stars,” Rescil stated, “I’m certain of this.”

  The governor sat back, unable to hide the shock or fear that overtook his features. Rescil simply smiled back at him.

  “And we can make the Reaction Disruptor?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Rescil replied.

  “And we could create a spacecraft of this ceramic to surround it?”

  “Yes.”

  “And we could…”

  “Yes, sir,” Rescil stated, “If we deemed them worthy of extermination, we could send this rocket into the core of their star and disrupt the reaction process inside the core. We could literally destroy a whole star system with one simple weapon.”

  “Dear god,” he muttered.

  “Exactly.”

  Evie

  I spent the remainder of the evening lying in bed staring at the ceiling of the barn. I had no need for sleep since I wasn’t anything more than a computer now. By the time the local bats returned to the rafters above me, I was deep into conversation with my schizoids. I chose to start identifying Rewan and Drexil by that term after I’d done a little reading earlier. My hosts had unwittingly left me with six books. One was titled “Dictionary”; another was labeled in gold “The Holy Bible”; a black book promising it contained “The Complete Works of Edgar Allen Poe”; a scary book called “Romance and Sexuality”; and finally two books labeled “Psychology One” and “Psychology Two.”

  As a detective, I felt compelled to read anything I could get my hands on. As an IX unit however, I was no longer limited by the physical restraints or time required for ocular download. Simply put, I could read a full-size book in less than fifteen minutes. By the time John opened the barn door, I’d read both psychology books, the dictionary, and the scary works of a frightening man named Poe.

  “Cyan?” he called.

  “Up here,” I replied, leaping from my bed.

  “Did you sleep, boy? I thought I’d have to drop a bucket of cold water on you to get you up this early,” he called, approaching my ladder.

  “I slept enough, sir,” I replied, “Your wife called for eggs and milk. I’m ready to do what it takes to make her stop scowling at me at the table.”

  He laughed while I climbed down the ladder. I met him at the base of the ladder where he stood carrying a primitive lantern.

  “Well if you’re as anxious to please the lady as I am, we need to get to the cows,” he said, “And believe me, she’s not an easy woman to please.”

  . . .

  “Isn’t this a bit repulsive? What do humans do with the milk from the cows anyway?” Drexil asked.

  “I’m still disgusted about taking eggs from the chickens,” Rewan added.

  I was carrying both the buckets I filled toward the back porch. I could see Maisy doing something in the kitchen window as I approached.

  “I’m questioning the first person who discovered all this. It makes sense to eat a chicken or even a cow, but who thought to drink its milk or eat the eggs?” I said.

  “I’ll stick with vegetables, thank you,” Rewan said.

  “No, you’ll eat whatever Steine crams in our mouth,” Drexil snickered.

  “Cyan,” John called from behind.

  I turned to see him approaching with two buckets of his own. I was still amazed to see this man bearing his trademark smile. I was beginning to think he had no other mode except happy.

  “Let’s get these to Maisy, then we’ll clean the stalls until she calls for us,” he said.

  I glanced down into his buckets and saw about a dozen eggs in one and a bunch of grain in the other. I followed John as he moved up the porch stairs and nudged the flimsy metal door open with his foot. It squealed on its hinges and almost slammed closed again before I caught it with my own foot.

  “Just leave it all on the table. I don’t want you tracking up the whole kitchen,” Maisy called.

  “Yes ma’am, but could you tell me if the lovely Evie be joining us for breakfast today?” Drexil asked, “Sure would like to see her again.”

  “We should be glad that they didn’t put you in charge of this IX unit, Drex,” I said as I followed John out of the house again, “Otherwise I think we’d be getting shot.”

  “Definitely,” Rewan added.

  “You’re awfully quiet today, Cyan,” John said, leading the way to the barn, “Something bothering you?”

  “Yeah, we were wondering if you’d be willing to part with Evie,” Drexil replied in my head, “We’d just like to keep her company for the five years I’m stuck on your insane planet.”

  “Bothering me, sir? No, I’m just getting irritated at the voices inside my head,” I spoke for only Rewan and Drexil to hear.

  “Not sure what to talk about, sir,” I replied aloud, “Just got a lot on my mind, I guess.”

  “I can imagine,” he said, turning to me once we reached the barn door, “It’s not everyday that a punk pulls a switchblade on someone.”

  I looked down at his open hand and saw the broken pieces of the knife that had been pulled on me. I met his eyes again to see a question perched on his brow.

  “Uh oh,” Rewan muttered.

  “I’m just glad he pulled it on me instead of you or Evie,” I replied with a shrug, “I’ve been trained to protect myself against such things.”

  “Good one,” Rewan whispered.

  “How do you snap a blade like this?” John asked, raising the broken portion up between us.

  I simply shook my head, unable to find the words. It appeared that the voices in my head had nothing to offer either.

  “Look, I don’t really care about the broken knife or the fact that you can single-handedly push a tractor up a hill. You could have been some secret Army experiment or an alien from the planet Krypton for all I know,” he said, pointing the tip of the broken blade at me, “If I begin to even suspect that there’s something nefarious about you or your intentions here, I’ll put you out on the streets where you came from. You might be strong, but I doubt you can stand up to my twelve-gauge.”

  “Yes, sir,” I replied quickly, “My intentions are exactly as I’ve said. I just need a place to stay and I’d never hurt you or your family.”

  His eyes held mine for what felt like a full minute, then a smile creased his face.

  “That boy… the one who brought Evie home last night,” he said, shoving the knife pieces back into his pocket, “He tried to touch my daughter in ways that honorable men wouldn’t think of – least not ‘til marriage anyway.”

  “Does this mean I’m not an honorable man?” Drexil asked.

  “Are you kidding me?” I shouted in my head, “You had nothing to say a moment ago when I needed help, but you’re non-stop when it serves no purpose whatsoever!”

  “I’m currently looking for a way to delete his profile, Steine,” Rewan said, “I’m tired of his commentary too.”

  “Where’s the love, people?” he asked, “I’m the comic relief in an ugly world full of grief.”

  “I’m proud of my girl and I love her more than life itself. That’s why I taught her how to hit a man,” John said with a snicker, “She nailed him right where it counts. Then she tore his shirt when he tried to hit her back.”

  “I’m glad she was able to show him the kind of woman she is,” I replied, “Not the kind of woman he was probably looking for.”

  He nodded and laughed before punching me lightly in the shoulder.

  “I just think it�
�s hilarious that he comes here and she proceeds to kick out his taillight, then you go and crush his weapon,” he laughed again, “I think word will spread pretty quickly that the McHale farm is a place to stay away from.”

  . . .

  By the time we were almost done cleaning the stalls, Maisy was ringing the cowbell to announce that breakfast was ready. John tossed his pitchfork into the hay pile and motioned for me to follow.

  “As if her voice wouldn’t be loud enough, she has to ring that cowbell every time she beckons,” he said, “She had a triangle years past, but it wasn’t loud enough for her.”

  “Why does he even stay with her?” Rewan asked, “He doesn’t seem to really like her much and I really don’t blame him. She’s always angry.”

  “I’d be willing to bet it wasn’t always this way. My grandparents always appeared to be at each other’s throats when I was younger,” I replied, “But my grandma cried her eyes out when my grandpa died. They loved each other.”

  At the back porch, John took off his boots and nodded toward a large bowl of water. I watched him wash his hands with a bar of soap while I took off my shoes. I washed the same way he did, then entered the house behind him.

  “Wow, what’s that smell?” Drexil asked, “I’m wishing suddenly that we had the sense of taste.”

  The first thing I noticed as I entered the kitchen was the fact that Evie was already seated at the table. I tried not to stare, but thankfully, she appeared to be struggling in the same way. Her eyes held mine and I recognized immediately that she had her father’s smile. It was a trait far better than carrying on her mother’s scowl.

  That was the moment I looked up and saw that her mother actually wasn’t wearing a scowl. She was smiling sincerely at us as she brought pans and bowls to the center of table.

  “Cyan, I’m sure you’re wondering what’s proper at the table when we come together to eat,” Maisy said, nodding toward the chair in front of me, “I always hated that when I’d go visit other people. Do I dig in, or do I wait to be served? Do I take as much as I want, or do I take a little and pretend to be satisfied?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I muttered, wondering what she wanted me to say to fill the pause.

  John patted my shoulder and pulled out both of our chairs. Evie still seemed to be examining me as I cautiously took a seat next to John, directly across from Evie.

  “If you wish to share our table for the time you remain at the farm, and if you wish to receive no cash payment other than food and a bed, then I figure it’s time to tell you the table rules,” she said, sitting down next to Evie, “After a prayer of thanks, it’s a free-for-all. There are no rules.”

  Evie laughed, then winked at her father who also filled the room with laughter. I was shocked to see a grin on Maisy’s face.

  “We’re serious, Cyan,” Evie said, “Stop with all the ‘ma’ams’ and the ‘sirs’.”

  “Amen,” John added, “And stop taking tiny bites of roast beef like you did last night. We’re very casual when if comes to table manners, Cyan.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said with a grin of embarrassment, “It’s just the way I was raised.”

  “Well, get rid of it,” Maisy said, “Now let’s get to it.”

  I was about to reach for the plate of flat breads when I noticed everyone closing their eyes and bowing their heads. Evie peeked up at me and raised her eyebrows. I followed their example.

  “Dear Lord, we thank you for bringing us some help in our time of need and we thank you for this food. Please bless this food, bless this family, and bless the interview I have today,” Evie said, “Amen.”

  “They are religious like the ones from our past,” Drexil said, “I wonder if Lord is another word for the sun.”

  “Some of our people still cling to religion,” Rewan stated, “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “Do you still cling to it?” Drexil asked.

  “No, but I also can’t say I’m a hundred percent sure that there’s nothing and no one behind the creation of our universe,” she replied.

  Before I had a moment to think, Evie grabbed the plate of flat breads. She grinned, seeing that my hand was only inches from grabbing the plate before she did.

  “Pancakes, Cyan?” she asked playfully, “You look more like a ‘bacon and eggs’ type of guy to me.”

  “Maybe I like a little bit of everything. As good as this all smells, I don’t want to miss out on anything,” I said.

  “Another word for our vocabulary, courtesy of Evie,” Rewan said, “Pancakes.”

  “And let’s not forget that we look like a bacon and eggs type of guy… whatever that is,” Drexil added, “Keep on with the flirting, Steine.”

  “Flirting?” I asked.

  “Yes actually, you’re flirting,” Rewan added.

  “I was complimenting Maisy on her cooking. I said nothing about Evie,” I defended.

  “Either way, it’s flirting and that’s why she’s still grinning while she offers you the plate,” Maisy said.

  “Thank you,” I said with a smile.

  “Not flirting,” I added to my mental audience.

  “Definitely flirting, but keep it up,” Drexil said.

  “So Cyan, how did you sleep last night?” Maisy asked, “I trust the fan helped chase away some of the heat in the barn.”

  “Yes ma’am,” I said, reaching for the tubes of greasy meat that John seemed to like so much, “I slept very well and the fan performed wonderfully.”

  “Evie says that you scared Rodney so badly that he pretty much ran away with his tail between his legs,” Maisy said.

  “Which explains why my wife isn’t giving you the evil glare today,” John quickly added.

  “What?” she demanded, lifting the buttery knife she’d been using at the time in a threatening manner, “I’m just being hospitable to a man you seem to trust.”

  “You hated him, dear,” John said with a smirk, “You glared at him like you wanted to kill him with the lasers in your eye sockets.”

  “Oh my god!” she laughed.

  “Did she just laugh?” Rewan asked.

  “Impossible,” Drexil added.

  “I wish I could leave right now. These people are all scaring me,” I said.

  “She hated Rodney with a passion. Heck, I hated him too,” John said, “The boy was snotty, disrespectful, and looked at my daughter like she was a piece of tender lamb.”

  “And Mother chased him away more than once, but he never listened to her. As a matter of fact, you’re the first person he ever listened to,” Evie said.

  “But that boy is a serious piece of trouble if I’d ever seen one,” I replied, “He might have left, but that was only after he stabbed…”

  “Don’t do it,” Drexil cut me off.

  “If he stabbed you, you’d be dead,” Rewan added.

  “He tried to stab me with a knife. Even cut my shirt,” I said, standing to show them the slit that the knife actually made.

  “Are you serious?” John asked.

  “Rodney tried to kill you?” Evie added.

  “Yes, and that’s why I think you need to keep that twelve gauge handy if you really have one, John,” I said.

  “Did you get hurt?” Maisy asked, rising quickly from her seat.

  “Make a scar, Rewan!” Drexil demanded.

  “I’m working on it!” she replied, “Hold them off for ten more seconds!”

  “I was cut, ma’am, but nothing I couldn’t handle,” I replied, “Nothing to worry about.”

  “Well, we need to call the police. This boy tried to kill you. He could have killed Evie,” she said, approaching me quickly, “Did you put some antiseptic on it?”

  Maisy was already trying to lift my shirt, in spite of my attempts at false modesty.

  “I’m fine, really,” I said, backing away from her.

  “It’s okay, Steine,” Rewan said, “I did a reverse flesh correction. I’m not sure how real it looks though since we don’t have
programs to create wounds – only to heal them.”

  “It’s not okay if you die of infection in the top of my garage, Cyan,” Maisy said, “Let me see it, or get off my property.”

  “Trust me, Cyan,” John said, “No one wins an argument against Maisy. Just lift your shirt and get it over with. Otherwise I’ll be forced to fix the fence by route eleven alone and I’d rather have some help with that one.”

  I looked at Maisy, then down at John who was still eating hungrily and acting like none of this was a big deal. I turned to Evie and suddenly melted beneath that smile. There was definitely something about her that was affecting me in an odd way. I lifted my shirt, maintaining eye contact with Evie. I was too afraid to look at Rewan’s work.

  “Rodney did that?” Evie gasped.

  “Uh… we need to get a doctor down here,” Maisy exclaimed.

  “Oops,” Rewan whispered.

  “No doctors!” I insisted, finally looking down at my own stomach.

  Rewan created a nice looking knife wound, but left it gaping open with some nice looking strands of wet muscle showing beneath. She did a nice job making it look real, but I’d have preferred a closed wound.

  “I… uh, it’s not bleeding and you can see that there’s no infection,” I said.

  “A doctor will know immediately that this flesh isn’t real,” Drexil said, “You have to do something and do it quick.”

  All three of them were staring at me in awe. I lowered my shirt quickly.

  “You’re a doctor!” Rewan said, “An Army doctor.”

  “I was a doctor in the Army,” I said, “This type of wound will heal better if I leave it alone. I tried to bandage it, but I couldn’t find anything sanitary.”

  “I’m calling a doctor if you don’t, Mother,” Evie said, rising quickly from her chair.

  The seat moaned as it scraped swiftly along the hardwood. Another chair joined this chorus. It took me a moment to realize it was John’s. He was still seated, but watching me like the rest of the people in the kitchen.