by Nick Braker
He tried to roll over, hoping to get away from the smoke but his body refused. He should be concerned about his situation. Why couldn’t he just lay here and relax with Beth?
“Beth?” he asked, acknowledging the sense that something was wrong.
He jerked his head around trying to find her, only to scream in pain. His vision flashed hot white and it felt like his head was struck by lightning. Panting for breath, he patted his head feeling for injuries. Blood caked it completely, even his hair was drenched in it.
What the hell is happening?
It came rushing back to him. Beth was in danger. He sat up, his face twisting. A lancing arc of pain shot through his head. It overwhelmed his senses. He needed to find Beth. If he was hurt, she could be too.
“Beth,” he screamed, balling up as the pain lanced through him again.
He tried to stand so he could find her but his left leg crumpled and he crashed back to the ground. Again, his vision flashed white and the pain almost consumed him.
As he lay there on his stomach, tears poured down his face. He dragged himself through the snow to the front of the car. He pushed with his right leg and clawed forward with his arms and hands. The excruciating pain crippled his movements but he continued to drag himself further, finally reaching the other side. The impact had wrapped the rear of the tiny car almost entirely around the tree. He pushed up with his arms, trying to see if she was still inside. He tried to look through the broken windows but his arms shook with the effort and he fell face first into the snow.
Please be okay.
“Beth,” he said, unable to put any force into it.
“Left, green, exit,” she said.
His head swung around searching the darkness. She was lying nearly thirty feet past the tree. She must have been thrown from the vehicle. He crawled toward her, ignoring the pain. Blood covered her body as she lay on her back staring into the sky. He continued toward her as fast as he could, his left leg dragging uselessly behind him as his vision faded in and out.
“Exit, leave, transfer,” she said, moving her hands in the air.
She brought her arms together, crossing them in front of her, forearm to forearm.
“Pull, depart, retreat, exodus,” she continued.
“Beth,” he said, his voice a bit stronger.
She must be in shock because she simply ignored him. The scene grew brighter as lights from something behind him came on. Someone else was there. Another car had pulled up perhaps? He didn’t know. He had to get to her and he only had a few more feet to go. Why was she saying those words? He finally reached her, coming up on her left side. Her lower torso was bent perpendicular to her upper torso, her legs pointing away from him. Red snow surrounded her, expanding larger. Asher’s tears flowed as the realization that she was fatally injured seeped into him. She needed help right now but he couldn’t get his legs to work. He’d never be able to reach anyone.
“Mister, are you two alright?” a man asked from far behind him.
He rolled on his side, twisting his upper body, looking back at the man. Headlights glared into his eyes, stinging them. He couldn’t see the man except for his silhouette.
“Get an ambulance,” he yelled, his voice nearly in a panic. “Call someone now. My fiancé is--”
Asher couldn’t say dying.
“--hurt badly.”
The effort nearly caused him to pass out. He didn’t care that he hurt and he didn’t care that he was cold. His entire focus was on her. Asher turned to Beth, vaguely hearing the man yell something back to someone else along the road.
“Beth, where does it hurt?” he asked, nearly in a whisper. “Dear god, talk to me.”
Her gaze was distant, focusing on the sky above. She no longer moved her arms and just let them rest on her chest. He put his arm along the ground under her neck cradling her in the crook of it. Beth was dying, there was simply too much blood.
“Out,” Beth said.
Her chest relaxed and a look of relief came to her face. Her eyes focused again, looking around. They met his and she smiled at him.
“Asher?” Beth said. “Where am I?”
“Beth, sweetie, where do you hurt?” Asher asked.
“Hurt?”
“You’ve been in an accident,” he said.
“Is she still here?” Beth asked.
“Is who still here?”
What was wrong with her? They had been talking in the car, everything was fine and then she had started screaming. What had happened to her? Now, she wanted to know if someone else was here.
“The other woman,” she said.
“There is no woman here.”
“Asher, I flew through a bright blue star,” she said in awe but then her face changed.
He could see it in her eyes. She understood. It dawned on her that she would be dead soon. She put her left hand behind his neck, pulling him gently to her. She kissed him, holding his face near hers.
“Asher,” Beth said, her voice was soft and filled with wonder. “I saw a black hole, flew through the most beautiful blue star. I could see it all, it was so amazing--”
She coughed uncontrollably several times. Blood started to trickle down her cheek. The spasm passed and she continued.
“Ash, I don’t have much time. I’m cold,” she said in a whisper.
“Honey, you were in an accident and you’re hurt,” he told her.
He was helpless, not knowing what to say or do. She should be dead already but still she looked at him, staring into his eyes, wanting to spend even her last few moments with him.
“Hold me, Ash,” she pleaded. “I’m dying, honey. Stay with me. Keep me warm.”
“I’m here. I will,” he said softly, sobbing.
He couldn’t stop his tears, but even through them he could see that her eyes never left his.
“Don’t cry, my love,” she said.
Several tears fell from his face, landing on her cheek.
“Forget me?” she asked.
“Never,” he said, his voice croaking and hoarse. “Never.”
“I... love...” she said, forming her last word but unable to say it. Her smile faded.
“Beth, Beth.... I love you too, baby,” he said, sobbing. “Beth? Honey, don’t go. Fight to stay with me, please.”
His voice pleaded with her.
“Beth?” he whispered.
Kron - Mental Infusion Complex
December 5, 1986 - 7:16pm
“Report,” Katerra ordered.
Satirra knew Commander Agneta would answer the Queen first. Relief flooded through her yet it did little to offset the emotions within her. Satirra’s feelings for the human male were fading but, at the moment, they still coursed strong through her. She could still feel the immense need within her to be near him. It had consumed her to the point she would have compromised the mission. Right now, her voice would give away her emotional state. She had to control these residual human feelings so that none of them knew what she had experienced. If they did, she would be seen as weak and they would pull her from the mission. Satirra desperately wanted to go back and would do everything in her power to return to Earth again.
“My Queen, the mental, visual and auditory return feeds indicated Satirra infused with a human female moments before the being’s death. An unfortunate occurrence,” Agneta replied.
The mental infusion into the human, Beth, had gone badly but not because Satirra had almost died. The fear of dying didn’t concern her. No, the problem could simply be stated, she had never experienced emotions as powerful as these. Emotions were prevalent in all species but on Kron they were far more subdued than most. Females experienced emotions more so than males, especially during the Ryikoda mating form. Emotions had their place on Kron. They were needed and tolerated but an Omarii had to control them in order to function within other beings. During their missions, Omarii were taught not to feel.
These human emotions were unparalleled from her experience and Satirra
had direct, firsthand knowledge with nearly one hundred species. These humans were different.
“Satirra, what happened during the one minute blackout period?” Katerra ordered.
It wasn’t even a question really. Satirra knew Katerra would not tolerate mistakes, even one would mean her instant death. She willed herself to relax, letting her fear of Katerra be the only emotion she felt.
“My Queen,” she said, bowing and keeping her head down. “There are close similarities between Kron and humans. I believe the human female detected my presence. Unlike other species, the Infusion--”
“I am aware. Continue,” she ordered.
“The being detected my presence and thoughts leaked through, during the two 30 second intervals. Initially, only vague impressions bled through but later I sensed the being’s thoughts before the system completed the first half of the transfer. I also know she sensed mine. The being certainly knew something was happening to her. If she communicated--”
“Indeed,” Katerra said. “If she did, both the Aliri and the humans will know of our attack upon Earth. Agneta, determine where the problem occurred and fix it. We must destroy the human race before the Aliri can act to stop us.”
The Aliri were a race of beings much older than Kron, though none could say how much older. No one had ever seen an Aliri first hand. They focused their entire civilization on creating a Utopian universe for all beings, a ridiculous notion that could never occur. Since they believed the Kron were not capable of existing in their Utopia, they had used another race, called the Cortians, against them. Their efforts against Kron failed but it came with a cost to both species. Kron was left with a permanent black rain of deadly ash over the entire planet, while the Cortians had been completely annihilated.
Kron would never forget that attack and they taught each generation every intricate detail of the Aliri involvement with the Cortians and their attempt to destroy them.
“Yes, my Queen,” Agneta said, still keeping her head down.
“Rise, both of you,” Katerra ordered. “Send Omarii Chitra next. We must find their weakness and exploit it against them.”
Satirra’s anger flared within her. Katerra wanted to send another Omarii through next. Why not her? Her hand twitched, clenching into a fist but she moved both of them behind her trying to cover her mistake. She could say absolutely nothing against an order from her Queen. She would be dead before she finished her sentence.
“Yes, my Queen,” Agneta said.
They both watched as Katerra left the Mental Infusion chamber.
Earth - Evansville, IN
December 5, 1986 - 7:36pm
The blue and white flashing lights illuminated the park and the scene of the accident. Police cruisers, several ambulances and a fire truck were present, all eerily quiet after arriving. He begged the emergency technicians to help Beth but their haunting looks told him they could do nothing. Instead, several of them tried to convince him that he needed help. They secured his neck, back and leg, rolling him onto their stretcher but, when they started to move him away, he grabbed the E.M.T. by his shirt pulling the man roughly to him.
“I’m not leaving. Work on me here,” he said.
Asher’s stern gaze made it clear, it was not a request. He was not going anywhere. The man turned his head to his co-worker and then back to stare at Beth’s motionless body.
“Sir, we need to get you to the hospital,” the man said.
“Not yet,” Asher said.
He watched the other team put a dark sheet over Beth. It looked like a ghost of death as it descended down, covering her with its finality.
“Sir, there is nothing you can do here and we need to get you proper medical attention. Let us take you to the hospital.”
Asher laid back on the stretcher. She was gone.
Forget her? No, never.
Chapter 2
BETH’S DEATH
Earth - Evansville, IN
December 11, 1986 – 7:20am
Asher stared out the window of his hospital room. Clouds obscured the sun’s rays but occasionally they would float out of the way and light would pour through the window. Beth said she had flown through the heart of a star and even claimed to have seen a black hole. He wept again. Her last words repeated over and over in his head, etching into his memory like carvings on stone.
Her family had buried Beth days ago but he couldn’t attend her funeral. The doctors had said the effort would kill him. He had indeed sustained serious injuries in the car wreck. His left leg had been crushed but, more seriously, they had found a metal object buried inside his head. Some part of Beth’s car had pierced his skull in the impact and the doctors stated they could not remove it. With just a few exceptions, he hadn’t left his bed since arriving as they attempted to assess the danger the metal object created.
The night of her death haunted his thoughts. He could think of nothing else. His friends, Greg, Brandon and Weston had visited every day since the accident, always trying their best to cheer him up. On the day of her viewing and funeral, they had shared a video with him via a VCR tape they had made of it. His mood soured further but they had insisted he needed to see the video to find closure. He had asked them to leave, promising he would watch it.
Asher followed up on his promise and, after watching it for several minutes, he realized they must have pitched in to hire a professional video photographer. The person filmed the viewing and the funeral at the gravesite. Asher examined every detail, rewinding the tape over and over to pick up every nuance he could find. The photographer was careful to not disturb either event as it seemed all the guests, except for his three friends, didn’t even know they were being recorded.
He had spent several days sharing the room with another patient but, this morning, the guy had been moved. He didn’t care. They had exchanged a few words but Asher wasn’t interested in talking with anyone. He couldn’t even remember the man’s name now.
The door to his room on the right had a window in it. Movement on the other side of it drew his attention. Two men, dressed in white dress shirts with black suit jackets stood outside talking to each other. One of them kept pointing down the hallway in both directions as if directing the other man. That man moved on and out of sight, but the one doing the pointing turned and walked into his room.
“Mr. Carson, I’m Detective Caraway. I know this is a bad time but may I ask you some questions about the night of the accident?”
“I’ve already talked to the police, several times. Why won’t you people leave me alone?”
“May I call you Asher?” he asked.
Asher nodded, being sure to move his head very slowly.
“I promise not to take too much of your time. It’s just routine,” he said, motioning to a chair nearby. “May I sit?”
He nodded again. The man pulled the chair closer to his bed, taking a seat. He pulled out a notebook and pencil.
“Mr. Car-- I’m sorry, Asher, would you cover the night of the accident with me? I understand you’ve been asked these questions before but due to your head injuries and the trauma of the event - very tragic I would add - it is possible you may remember more now than previously.”
Asher absentmindedly rubbed the bandage covering the hole in his skull. The gauze was taped to the shaved area around the wound. The man seemed genuine enough to Asher. He wasn’t the typical cop with an attitude that he’d grown accustomed to.
Asher replayed the events of the night in full detail, answering the man’s questions when he interjected them, trying to provide insight as he went. The detective seemed more interested in the unusual comments Beth made than the accident itself.
“Why are you so interested in my fiancé’s strange comments?” Asher asked.
“I’m not a doctor, mind you, but I believe Beth - may I call her that - suffered an aneurysm. After all, and please forgive me for being blunt, her comments couldn’t be taken seriously. She obviously didn’t fly through a star. No one can possibly d
o that. She had to be hallucinating. I’m so sorry for your loss, Asher. I wish such terrible things didn’t happen to good people.”
“Thanks,” Asher said. “She was good people.”
The man nodded, putting away his notepad and pencil. Asher noticed he wore a solid gold ring on the little finger of his left hand. It contained a single red jewel.
“Well, that wraps up my time here. I’m sure our department will not bother you any further. I deeply apologize for any inconvenience we caused you during your time of loss. Asher, I wish you and your family the best.”
The man shook Asher’s hand and left.
Earth - Evansville, IN
December 12, 1986 - 8:15am
The next morning Asher’s roommate returned. Asher had fallen asleep after the detective left and the hospital staff had moved the man back in. Asher ignored him and reviewed the video again. Somewhere in the back of his mind his behavior bordered on crazy, but seeing Beth, even in these circumstances, felt right. He could blame it on grief for a while but he wanted to see more of her.
The man running the camera respectfully filmed each guest. He must have done it so that Asher could see who had cared enough to attend. Asher counted 172 people that showed up to Beth’s viewing. It went along way to know so many people cared for her. For the first time in days, Asher found some joy knowing that Beth’s life had positively affected so many people. He didn’t get faces for every person there but, based on clothing differences, he felt comfortable with his count.
One scene detailed several ladies chatting together as the cameraman stood nearby recording them. They didn’t seem to know they were being filmed and spoke at length about Beth and her family. He moved on to another group and Asher heard several people mention his name. This scene included one of the people he had to count based on clothes as he couldn’t see the man’s face. He wore a white dress shirt and black suit jacket. Asher paused the video. The man also wore a gold ring. He had to rewind several times to find the right frame but the gold ring contained a single red jewel.
What the hell?
What would he be doing at Beth’s viewing? He had introduced himself as Detective Caraway but now that Asher thought about it, the man hadn’t shown any ID.