The Tale of the Blood Diamond

by Laveen, Tiana

  Unable to recover from the hedonistic show of affection, she lost her breath once again. Her eyes bucked out as the man held what appeared to be a grenade. He tossed it about between his hands, as if it were a mere tennis ball.

  “And this here, of course, is for our Morphitian friends.”

  A light burst of laughter filled the room — only Jayme didn’t join in the banter.

  “Just push this little button.” He circled an indented area with his short thumbnail. “Then jam it into their mouths, doesn’t matter if they are in their original form or not, and it will eradicate them, and only them, right there on the spot. It’s like instant vanishing cream…but of course you have to be sly enough to get close to them, first. Then,” he held the contraption up higher, “this will take care of the rest.”

  For the next hour, Jayme stood there, watching practice maneuvers and runs. All the while, Aton had her son, holding him tight as he journeyed from area to area, giving instruction as well. The man didn’t smile outwardly either, but for some odd reason she was sure he was, somewhere deep inside. Zachary seemed particularly fond of Aton, so much so, he had to be pried apart from the man in order to eat his dinner. After gulping down his peas, carrots and tapioca, he immediately sought the Zarkstormian leader out, gluing himself to the guy once again.

  Jayme caught the time from the clock on the wall. As if all-knowing, when she turned back around, Xzion was staring at her.

  “Go.”

  She nodded. Now, it was time to put up or shut up. She was leaving to go to the precinct and train her team. ‘Each one, teach one…’ They had no more seconds to lose…

  ****

  “Before you leave, Officer Khrome, may I have a word with you and Xzion, privately please?” Aton asked as Jayme turned to walk away and dress for work that evening.

  Xzion looked curiously at Aton, while Jayme kept her back turned a bit longer than necessary. Finally, she spun on her heels, her expression soft, yet the look in her eyes…hardened. Xzion couldn’t quite describe it — he attributed it to yet another human nuisance that escaped his capacity to decode.

  “Yes,” she answered smoothly.

  The four of them, Zachary still in Aton’s grip, moved towards the guest bedroom, one of the only rooms left in the house without alien guests. After a short jaunt, they stood enclosed by the stark white walls, still holding traces of the place where Xzion had once rested his weary head and watched on several camera screens the woman that had raced away with his heart, two years previous.

  Aton cleared his throat, his fingers sprawled possessively over the back of Zachary’s head. Xzion shot Jayme a glance. It was more than obvious she didn’t appreciate this show of affection, and without as so much as a word, she instinctively reached towards the man and removed her son from his tight grip. Aton glared at her, but did not protest the sudden removal of the child.

  “I would strongly urge you two allow Zachary to come back to Zarkstorm with me, until this blows over,” Aton declared.

  Jayme belted out a laugh as she slapped her thigh. She rolled her eyes and then yelled out so loud, Xzion fought the urge to cover his sensitive ears.

  “HELL! NO! I knew you were going to pull this shit, Aton! I knew it!” She pointed in the man’s direction, the veins in her neck popping as her lips thinned the more she bared her teeth.

  “Aton, we don’t even know if Zachary can withstand the atmosphere there yet.”

  “That is beside the point! You aren’t really considering this?!”

  His mate was livid. She now stood in front of him, her eyes dancing with too much emotion for him to decipher. All he knew for certain was that this may be a good time to be quiet.

  “Actually, I do know. I looked into that today. I prepared in advance. You see, I brought two vials of the components of our air with me. Allowing only a small sample at a time, to ensure he didn’t become ill or have an adverse reaction, I allowed him to inhale. Imagine my delight to see that the child is bi-respiratory.”

  “Bi-respiratory?” Xzion said in astonishment.

  “Excuse me!” Jayme interrupted, shoving her fingers into Xzion’s shoulder, making him face her once again. “Aton, your so-called mentor and teacher, put our son’s life at risk under our own roof, and all you can ask about is terminology? Aton, the answer is ‘No!’.”

  “Now, wait a minute, Jayme. Aton came to me about a different visit back some time ago, regarding Zachary, and I shot him down, but in light of what is going on, we should at least hear him out. Our child is in the middle of a war zone.”

  “And he wouldn’t be in one over there?!” She pointed towards the sky. “The Yuledrakes, according to you, are in close proximity to you. They could try to make you pay by killing our son!”

  “Jayme, they don’t even know who he is! From the looks of him, he simply appears human and no one would believe he is half Zarkstormian unless we told them — and everyone here, as well as back on my planet, knows to say nothing! We never release that sort of intelligence to outsiders. Ever.”

  Jayme placed Zachary on the ground beside her.

  “Officer Knight, I received some intelligence right before my scheduled visit, which prompted me to bring the vials in the first place.”

  “What intelligence?” Xzion crossed his arms, his brow raised in curiosity.

  “It has come to my attention that Jatorn is once again interested in our cure.”

  “So?” Xzion shrugged his shoulders.

  “They wish to find a reversal cure, based on the components of this one.” Aton held up a small vial filled with the precious blood concoction — a mixture of Xzion and Zachary’s blood, the precious vaccine. “The Morphitians are actually behind this little plot.”

  “They’ll never figure it out.” Xzion crossed his arms and took a few steps in deliberation as he mulled over the information.

  “I agree, however, this means that should they move forward with their inquiries, they may discover…they may discover…”

  “Zachary…” Jayme hung her head as their son’s name rolled off her tongue like a soft whisper. The conversation had come full circle.

  “Exactly. Should they discover exactly who he is, there will be no stop to their attempts to conquer and destroy.”

  Xzion deliberated over the words long and hard. Maybe, just maybe, there was a way to turn the tide. He kept his deliberations to himself and continued to marinate in their stew until the pot finished boiling. He didn’t want to tell Aton any half-baked ideas just yet.

  “Attempts to capture your child would go underway if he continues to reside here during this crisis. If they were to in some way also see that he has Warrior blood, the results would be detrimental. He is exactly the sort of novelty they love. Notwithstanding, the enemy looks for their opponent’s weaknesses; should they discover he is ours, we are doomed.”

  Xzion turned back towards Jayme. She stood erect, her fists at her sides like a soldier and her left eye twitching, then gleaming. It broke his heart…the woman was fighting back tears. He immediately marched towards her and embraced her tight, rubbing her back as he comforted her. He hated how he could not totally comprehend her concerns, but she was a human mother; these were things he’d just never understand, but he’d sure try. He glanced at Aton from the corner of his eye, and the man stood stoically, his head hung as he looked at the ground, giving them a respectable distance and moment alone.

  Before Xzion could utter his convoluted thoughts, Aton broke the silence.

  “Officer Jayme Khrome, I have an idea that I’ve been mulling around. As you are aware of…” He stormed towards the couple, causing Xzion to release her and stand with his back straight. “Your husband’s right eye has a laser, other weaponry, two complex computer systems — one which is biological, and a camera for recording and storage of video and audio files. This eye can create, erase and edit any footage, anytime, anywhere.”

  As if all knowing, Xzion hunched his back to become eye level with
Aton.

  Aton turned him around to face Jayme, then gently dug his finger into the side of Xzion’s iris.

  Jayme grunted and reached out. “Stop it!”

  Xzion raised his hand. “Baby, it’s okay. It doesn’t hurt.”

  After a few moments, Aton held in his hand a tiny silver slither, barely able to be seen by the naked eye.

  “Officer Jayme Khrome, this is—”

  “Aton, you can just call me Jayme.” She smiled weakly.

  “Very well. Jayme, this is the cover for the recording device. It is a protective lens that Xzion wears, like a contact lens, if you will. It helps keep debris and dirt away from the recorder. I would like to put something exactly like this inside of your wedding band,” He looked at her left hand. “Or, as you all call the other ring that you wear, your engagement ring, inside of the diamond. In some ways, I suppose that is rather ironic.” He cleared his throat. “If you grant me permission to take your son to Zarkstorm, in protective custody, you will be able to rely on your ring to show you him, and communicate with him, anytime you wish. You will be able to hear and watch him without his knowledge as well as communicate with the lad. I will create a necklace for the boy, through which he will be able to do the same with you.”

  Jayme quickly wiped a tear from her eye and looked away.

  “Please understand, Jayme, this is temporary. I have no intention of keeping your child for longer than necessary. Your husband has made it quite clear to me that he is not comfortable with Zachary receiving training on our planet at this time. Though I disagree, I respect Xzion’s wishes. He is his father and legal guardian, and you are his mother and have every right to voice your concerns, as well as have those concerns respected and your wishes protected.”

  Xzion took the tiny lens cap, tilted his head back, and placed it back over his iris.

  “Now.” Aton clapped his hands. “I do not want to keep you longer than necessary. I need to get back to the base with the other soldiers. What shall we do? Has a decision been reached?”

  Everyone was quiet and didn’t make a move for a few seconds. On a sigh, Xzion took Jayme in his arms and kissed the top of her head. She trembled in his arms, and he felt helpless and angry…yes, angry. He hated that this situation was still tearing his family apart. Whether it was only for five seconds or five years, for Jayme, it would all feel the same — and dare he admit it, his heart was hurting, too. He looked over his shoulder at Aton, then back at Jayme.

  “Jayme, listen to me.” He looked down at the floor at their son who simply sat there, seeming to understand the conversation, but not moving a muscle. “You know I don’t want this to happen. You know I love Zachary as much as you do!”

  “I…I know,” she coughed out, her head buried in his chest.

  “Zarkstorm has a protective shield, Earth doesn’t. Zarkstorm still has some of the best Warriors that can watch over him, twenty-four seven. Here, it would be more sporadic and we have less control over the environment. The Yuledrakes and Morphitians would have to get through three layers of security before they even reached the entranceway — and by then, he’d be in another protective cell with five layers. I have to fight here, I can’t watch him the way that is needed and protect Earth at the same time. That is impossible. We are quite serious about keeping our planet safe as well. He’d be spoiled rotten, too.” He gave a weak laugh as he gently lifted her chin and looked down into her eyes. “This is the best thing for him. Right now, they know nothing. So let’s keep it that way.”

  Jayme pushed back from him a bit further, her eyes glossy with the free-flowing tears. She turned away and grabbed their son, clutching him so tight, Xzion worried their poor child may be crushed.

  “Zachary, Mommy loves you so much! I’m so sorry about this, baby.” She sobbed loud and hard, causing Xzion to turn away. So did Aton, as if it were simply too much for him to bear and watch, as well.

  “Mommy will always be here, and this will be over soon, okay? I know you don’t understand, but—”

  “Mommy?” the boy interrupted.

  “Yes, Zachary?”

  “It’s okay.” Suddenly, the young child took hold of his mother’s finger and began to twist and turn the large diamond engagement ring. Slowly but surely, he removed it from her hand. Jayme sniffed a tear away and walked up to Aton. Aton opened his palm and waited as Zachary placed the hulking diamond ring in his hand. Aton offered a light smile,

  “Thank you, Jayme. Thank you, Zachary.” He then turned towards Xzion, who could barely make eye contact with him. A look of worry came over Aton’s face. Jayme spun suddenly around to see what the matter was.

  Xzion was crying…

  He felt the wetness, and it made him sick, but he couldn’t stop. The single, solitary tear trailed down his face, and then another; only the second one was blood red. He saw it on his finger when he touched it to the liquid streaming down his cheek.

  “Jayme, go to Zachary’s room and gather a few of his favorite things and follow Aton’s orders as he prepares your ring and takes off with our son. I will remove one of the pods from the warehouse and have it returned upon his arrival,” he said sternly.

  “Xzion, I want you to calm down. You could accidentally cause a system overload.”

  That fucking stench! No one else smells it?

  He was temporarily distracted. He’d gotten a whiff of something rather rank in the air.

  I must go through with this, no stopping now…

  Aton stared, his voice slightly shaking as Xzion’s rage filled the space. Aton would know what was going on, but Jayme did not. Those weren’t just tears of sadness; they were tears of tremendous rage. Jayme walked towards him. He refused to look at her; instead, he stared straight ahead. She gently kissed his cheek, and disappeared from the room with their son. His entire body vibrated. Aton grabbed his wrists.

  “Xzion, I order you to calm down!” The man suddenly tore at Xzion’s shirt, placed his palm over his ribcage, and pushed, causing Xzion to gasp. A sense of peace came over him.

  “Officer Xzion Khrome, that was quite dangerous,” Aton said after a few moments. “I have not seen you that angry since, well, since your trial.”

  “You do understand that I must destroy Jatorn?” Xzion said with no emotion in his tone as he leaned casually against the wall. “As soon as I see him, I will kill him.”

  “Yes, I understand.”

  “Make sure orders are clear that if anyone sees him, they are to do nothing to him. He is mine…all mine!” Xzion stormed out of the area, the laser in his eye heated, as well as his entire damn body. In the kitchen, he removed copious amounts of ice from the icemaker and popped them in his mouth like potato chips while some of the Zarkstormian Warriors sat around and watched.

  “I take it the meeting with Aton was unsettling?” one of the Zarkstormian warriors questioned, more than likely concerned about Xzion’s present condition.

  Xzion didn’t look back at him. “Oh, believe me, there is no problem, Mitgz,” Xzion answered between crunchy, loud chews. He smiled big — a smile driven from him dancing on the boarder of insanity. “Everything will be settled once and for all…”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  The thin flesh of the human was uncomfortable, itchy, and the scent, though familiar, Vex found repulsive no matter how many times he’d donned it. Regardless, he’d morphed into his covering and moved about the planet, Washington D.C. to be exact, the best he could. He’d perfected their walk, yet the uneven pavement at times gave him unwelcomed challenges, especially under the cloak of the evening sky and lack of natural light. He worked best in murky surroundings, but this was a new kind of blackness. One that would suddenly be swathed in light from a passing vehicle, or the quiet ripped away with a honking horn or the loud discourse of a drunken man staggering along the pebble covered path. He’d never been here before, yet he was quickly enmeshing himself into the human world and dare he admit it, enjoying himself. The sounds, the smells, the enchanting city-l
ife as the weaklings and fearmongers wrestled with their own silly desires formed part of a fascinating show. The Yuledrakes had begun the plague of fear, and he was ready to feast.

  He raised his arms in the air, declaring with that gesture that soon, all of this would in fact be his…a playground, a euphoria of pleasures designed for him and his people.

  Tonight, he was on a special mission. Tonight, he was to settle in and prepare for beautiful tortures. A trial run, so to speak, but one that would be devastating to those he’d encounter, nevertheless. This was the third phase of the plan, after all, so he and many other Morphitians clamored about in their various disguises, walking the streets in their morphed costumes made of hominoid dermis and getting acquainted with the hospitable people of Baltimore, Maryland. It was time to turn up the heat — tonight was going to be epically special, a beautiful disaster, a nightmare come true.

  Despite all of this fun to be had, he was well aware that Jatorn was livid. Each hour, on the hour, the Yuledrakes were running into Zarkstormian Warriors and Intellects. The enemy blended in with the population making them more difficult to locate, and before long, bodies were strewn here, there and everywhere. Yuledrake bodies. Just as in years past, alien life forms were rather careful to not immediately stir up the delicate human eco-system until the plans were in full swing. This is how killing was done — yet no one suspected them. Regardless of this, the Yuledrakes had turned up the heat, but they were not the only chefs in the kitchen… No one knew exactly or could pinpoint where these Zarkstormians were coming from, but they’d had only one fatality, while the Yuledrakes had lost so many; the number was ever-changing to the point that the body count was no longer known.

  “Jatorn and his arrogance.” Vex grinned and swiped a trickle of snot running from his new fangled nostril, and spoke softly as he worked his new mouth muscles. “He will keep sending his multitudes. And they will keep perishing. Better them than us…”