Angel Radio

by A. M. Blaushild

  But it was all I had, and luckily involved my only real skill: destruction. I gripped my gun tightly and fired.

  Not blindly, that wouldn’t have made much sense. But at the angels—the tiny ones mostly, whose white bodies were destroyed when bullets pierced them, and left behind little blood and many feathers.

  I shot them all. It was like a game of sorts, as they truly were everywhere, and it took them a long time to really fear me. Most of them died without conflict, and didn’t even leave much for remains—but others did, and their bodies began to collect on the forest floor.

  I only stopped when I ran out of ammo, though most of the angels had fled by then. I rolled one of the bodies with my foot idly. It was like cotton, and felt boneless and easy to crush. Like a stuffed animal.

  “Well, that was terrible,” said a voice, and my first instinct was to reply in a mocking voice. Then I remembered it made a lot more sense to look for the source.

  “Well, you did come,” I said, “so it did work.” I didn’t see the deer-angel anywhere, nor could I be sure that was who was speaking. But odds are it was, and that was good enough.

  “It’s not like I left.” It had a decisively feminine voice, but one that didn’t quite sound like Ada’s.

  “Show yourself.” I gripped my gun tightly and held it up to aim, though I was out of bullets. It just made me feel safer. “Are you named Ada or Orifiel?”

  “I don’t see why I have to confirm one way or the other,” the voice said lazily. I heard a sound behind me and turned around to see the deer-angel had jumped out of a tree—and wasn’t in an animal shape anymore. She had taken on a human shape, and a relatively proper one at that, quite unlike Naomi’s headless body. She had carried with her a pair of antlers and her single eye, but otherwise she appeared almost perfectly human. However, her skin did have a rather translucent and glassy look to it.

  “Isn’t that ever confusing for you? It’s confusing for me.” I lowered my gun, though I did keep a tight grip on it.

  She sighed and did a weird thing with her head, moving it back and forth like some kind of snake. I wasn’t sure if it was supposed to be, like, an emotional gesture or something. “Just use Orifiel. It’s my proper name—”

  “Just that? Not Orifieliaxion or whatever?”

  “No. Obviously not.” She looked severely offended. “Ada is my stage name for when I’m on air, okay? Naomi’s too dull to do so, but me and Emil actually have the sense to hide our identities when broadcasting.”

  “Okay, seriously, what is up with the br—”

  “Broadcasts? I can’t tell you, sorry.”

  “Okay, you know what? No. Just no. I’ve been hearing that so often. Like what are you going to do, give me some cryptic yet slowly revealing information and then disappear for a few days? Because I am so sick of that. Don’t tell me you’re somehow working on the side of the angels, because Angel Radio pretty much only broadcasts information related to killing angels. You know what? I’m going to shoot you.” I raised my gun again.

  “Calm down,” said Orifiel, looking neither scared nor particularly impressed. “Yes, of course we’re on the side of the angels. We are angels. There is no other side. And while I can assure you we never said anything that hazardous to our own kind, we were ordered to say every word we did. Preapproved topics and everything. Don’t freak out about it.”

  “Why would you do that? And why would you communicate to just me?”

  “Just you? Don’t be so presumptuous. We spoke to all. Only reason I’ve been hanging around you is because you’re the closest human to where we were located. So maybe there’s been a couple cases of exception regarding you, but trust me, we speak to all.”

  “Midori couldn’t hear it, though,” I said, and my heart sank as I realized the implications of that fact.

  Orifiel didn’t understand, however. “The other human didn’t? It’s not like we could pick and choose who heard us speak, you know. It was all at once, and very loud.”

  “Speaking of speaking—”

  “Are you wondering how I can speak to you, when Naomi could not?”

  “What, were you hiding out in the bushes that whole time? I probably suffered some severe hearing loss from that, you know.” I had actually yet to notice any problems, but they were bound to be coming.

  “I was around, yes. I don’t exactly enjoy Naomi’s presence. The difference between her and me is simple: I’m smarter. The only angels normally capable of speaking to you directly are those capable of taking your human shape, the Seraphim. The less blessed communicate with each other with frequencies far above your range of hearing, and indeed, entirely done without the use of mouths. In fact, most of us can barely change shapes without a great deal of pain or limitation on what we can become. Even the exceptions, those fake humans we planted in those camp sites, needed a constant flow of energy to keep themselves going.”

  “You seem free enough to change into whatever you like.”

  “I have a very diverse diet.”

  “Okay, I don’t want to know what that means.”

  “It means that my true form is a lot larger than this, and when I consume something I can—”

  “I said I don’t want to know. Please don’t tell me.”

  “I don’t know how it works, but I can take the shape of most things I swallow whole—my true form is blobulous at best, and—”

  I clapped my hands over my ears. “I don’t actually want to know any of this.”

  “Oh! Are you hurt that I had to eat a human to even speak to you? Don’t fear! She may not be fully dead. At least, I’d hope not. Who knows, actually?”

  Since I could still hear her quite well, I removed my hands. “It’s really gross, that’s all.” I sighed. “I saw a—carapace, I believe you call them—who was doing something fairly similar, though. When it died, all these animals were inside its body.”

  “Can’t say I invented the technique.” She shrugged. “Though I should note I’m not at risk for becoming something like that, so you don’t have to fear me.”

  “Right, because the only reason I’d be scared of you is because you’re not a demon.”

  “Are you going to kill us?” said Orifiel suddenly.

  “What?”

  “You’re here, next to our Eden. Are you going to kill us?”

  “All the angels? That does seem highly unlikely, doesn’t it?”

  “It’s very possible, I’m sad to say, if you destroy Eden. Please don’t do it.”

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “Go.”

  “Without Midori?” I still wasn’t sure what I was going to do about her, but I certainly wasn’t going anywhere without a talk.

  “It may be too late for her anyway.”

  “What do you mean? What is it that you’re doing to her?”

  Orifiel shook her head. “It may already be too late.”

  And with a particular sense for ending conversations on a mysteriously irritating note, she leapt into a tree and changed shape to a bird, flying off without another sound.

  24

  ORIFIEL HADN’T been useless, but she had been annoying, and I walked back to Fex’s body in a bad mood.

  I felt his chest, but there was no sign of a heartbeat or breathing. But I couldn’t be sure if it was time to give up on him or not.

  And it wasn’t like there was much else for me to do; after all, with Orifiel gone, there wasn’t anyone else I could turn to for help.

  But I hated waiting around, and I soon found myself gazing over at Eden. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to look around a little more? I could even bring Fex with me if I was careful; he weighed much less than my bag did.

  I had run out of bullets, and it would be a long walk down to town to look for more. But I did have matches, and fire consistently seemed to be the most effective way of dealing with the angels.

  Leaving my bag behind, I pocketed my matches and lighters, picked Fex up, slung him over my shoulder, and l
eft. As long as I was observant, he probably wasn’t at risk for attack. And even then, I could probably outrun any angel that might come after us.

  Many angels did start to follow us as we came closer to Eden, but they all seemed too small to be a threat. The ones that dared to get close would investigate the black spots on Fex’s face, and remembering the Ophanim’s reactions to it, I covered them up with a scarf.

  They mostly lost interest after that. A few seemed on edge as I got closer to the wall, and their forms bristled as I reached out to touch the great white expanse.

  It was slightly sticky, leaving a faint residue on my fingertips. It was somewhat soft, putting up little resistance to my touch, and a bit springy. It was composed of many smaller strings, which in turn made up larger ones. With a bit of maneuvering, I found myself able to slip my hand inside, though I was entirely unwilling to go any farther.

  There had to be a couple holes or something that the angels used to get in. I walked along the surface, hand trailing the wall, until I came upon what I was looking for: a large opening. However, it lay on the same route Fex had been using to get in, and was heavily guarded by various angels. The two largest ones were a twin pair that were partially lodged into the wall, just heads and arms extending outside. Their whole heads were nothing more than spheres covered in eyes, and I backed away from them very quickly.

  There couldn’t be only one entrance, right? After a good ten minutes of walking, however, I gave up on that thought and just decided I was going to have to make my own way in. It was a fairly soft wall.

  Putting Fex down, I grabbed a section of the wall and pulled, and found it surprisingly easy to remove. It didn’t break very easily, but it did separate enough for me to move it aside. I kept going like this—pulling strands, moving them aside, and often pressing on them to condense them a bit—until I had a hole about the size of my body. There was no sign of the other side yet.

  It was a big structure, but how thick could the walls be? I itched to just burn my way through, though that would likely be too dangerous. Instead I continued to dig at the wall.

  After what seemed like hours, the inside had been breached; the hot air that rushed out smelled like sweat and old leaves. And darkness too, if darkness could have a smell.

  I went back for Fex and pulled a lighter out of my pocket. It didn’t illuminate much, but made me feel a lot safer as I entered Eden.

  As soon as I passed across the threshold and stood quite plainly in the pitch dark, there was a change in Fex. He started to move, really fussing about, and I dropped him in surprise.

  He woke up quicker than I would have thought possible, and sounded very awake. “Why are you here? Why am I here?” His silhouetted self frantically looked around, until he spotted the entrance and ran outside.

  I followed him. “Hey, Fex, wait up!” I called out.

  Luckily he hadn’t gone far—he just leaned against the outer wall. “I can’t be in there,” he said, looking at me with heavy eyes.

  “Why not? Also, while I’m talking, way to make me freak out earlier. What, were you just going to let yourself die?”

  “Yes, and you shouldn’t have saved me. I’m sick, Erika. I can’t be alive for much longer.”

  “You look….” To tell the truth, he did look very sick. It wasn’t just the black veins and missing chunks of skin—his one eye was weary and red, and his skin had a certain baggy look to it. “You don’t have to die, though. Don’t angels have like, medicine?”

  “We don’t need that sort of thing. Do you know what’s in there?”

  “Uh, no? Because you never bothered to tell me, remember?”

  “Okay, I was hoping you’d either give up on—whatever it is you think you’re doing—or just walk in and confer with the Metatron, remove Midori, and then give up. And that was a hypothetical question either way. Do you know what’s in there? No, you don’t. Because you don’t understand us in the slightest.”

  “Get to the point already.”

  “I’m not a person, Erika, any more than any of the other angels. I’m special in one way: I have been given extra power above the rest. But it’s all temporary. I’m temporary.”

  “What?”

  “Listen, do you know the difference between me and Gavreel? Technically nothing. I mean that. Nothing. We’re the same person by any count of genetics.”

  “But you look and act—”

  “Different, yes. But we’re the same. Because the angels, all of us, are one. We are the Metatron, and we are many. I am nothing more than a facet of myself, temporarily dispatched for the old purpose of observation, ready at any time to be reabsorbed into my true body.”

  “So—”

  “Not a hive mind.” Fex grimaced again. “A single mind. When we remerge with our true body, all our gained thoughts and memories become part of the Metatron. When I said that I had limits on when I could use my powers, this was true too. I maintain a connection to the Metatron at all times, and my power is only on loan. But my memories are mine until I rejoin—meaning if I do something, the Metatron knows. But the details are lost to them until I myself become lost to them.”

  “That’s weird as hell.”

  He gave a dazed half smile. “Hey, no offense, but I happen to think it’s weird as hell that you’re constantly alone. I’m constantly on the verge of mental unsoundness here, and I’m not even fully cut off from the Metatron’s voice. How do you even manage?”

  “We talk to other people, I guess? But if you’re so desperate to become one with yourself again, why can’t you go in there?”

  “Because I’m sick.” He placed a hand over the gap where his eye should have been. “What do you think this is? A choice? I’m sick, and I’m dying, and if I even get too close to the Metatron, we could all die. And don’t give me that look—I will find a way to kill myself if you try to drag me in there.”

  “What happened, though? Where did you catch it?”

  “Where do you think?” He sighed. “You dragged me out into the void, and one of the carapaces gave it to me.”

  “What, a demon gave an angel a disease?”

  “I’m starting to get a feeling you’ve been misunderstanding something very crucial to all this: carapaces, or demons as you seem to insist on calling them, are angels. They’re sick ones, and I’m going to become one if I don’t get killed soon.”

  “Actually, that was a fact Gavreel had told me.” I had forgotten it had been him who had told me about demons. Between all those visits and all that information, it could get hard to remember who had said what.

  “Please disregard anything he’s ever said to you. You should know that by now.”

  “Isn’t he you, though? Or part of you? Why does he act so oddly?”

  “As Seraphim, we are granted the most freedom in our actions. I don’t know what’s with him. I don’t know what he knows. We are the same, yes, but different sides of the same.”

  “Is he around here, though? Do you think he’ll talk to me again?”

  “I definitely don’t doubt it. He’s probably not going to cause you any trouble, but I hope he stops by and kills me, since you evidently aren’t planning to.”

  “Nope.”

  He swallowed. “Just get Midori out of there. There’s a good chance she’s sick too. And she absolutely cannot enter our system. If she synthesizes with us, we will die. She will die. It’ll all be over.”

  I fidgeted my fingers. Everything being over sounded exactly like what I wanted from all this: the end. I would have to lose Midori, but she was nothing more than another angel, and a lying one at that. “What are you doing to her? Where is she?”

  “She’ll be in the core. And we are synthesizing her.”

  “Thanks for the details.”

  He gave a one-shoulder shrug. “There isn’t much else to say.”

  “Right. Of course. You do know I can totally just pick you up and toss you in there, right? You’re weak and surprisingly light.”

 
“I’m this funny thing called a shape-shifter, it turns out, and I may or may not be able to just fly away from your grasp. I don’t know. Let’s find out.”

  “Shut up. Don’t die. I’ll be back in a few with Midori.” I turned back to go into Eden once more.

  “I am going to die, by the way, when you leave. Your words aren’t going to stop me,” Fex called after me.

  I went back out and stared him down. “Yes. Stay. Live. Listen to me.”

  “Nope! In fact—” He paused, closing his eyes for a couple seconds. “Here come my executioners right now! I called them over; hope you don’t mind.”

  Two Ophanim, different ones from before, rushed down from the sky. They were much larger too, and they each had a great and many-toothed mouth taking up half their abdomen.

  “This is just another quick mess I have to clean up,” I said to Fex. “You’re not going anywhere.”

  “Watch out!” he said jovially. “They’re rather specialized for combat, these two. Like guard cells.”

  Guards or not, they were still angels, and I prepped a lighter.

  They ignored me, and moved to Fex. I tried to push one aside, but it was much too heavy for that. Its body swayed slightly, but it continued to advance. I flicked my lighter, and forced one of the Ophan’s wings over the flame.

  The Ophan caught fire fast, the flames soon spreading to the rest of the body. But the angel did not seem to suffer from this, and in the end it was I who was forced to move aside before my hand burned.

  “Many Ophanim actually light themselves on fire, you know. You’ve basically just weaponized it before it could be bothered to do so itself,” Fex said, lounging on the grass and waiting for the Ophanim to reach him.

  The other one, conscious of the first’s sudden status of being on fire, lit itself up as well.

  This was a problem. I didn’t have any other weapons, and I was not fireproof. The Ophanim moved very slowly, and that gave me time to think. They were probably going to crush Fex in their jaws, as it seemed that was their only viable method of attack. So at least I knew it was going to be another minute before their floating put them in range of Fex.