by A. J. Ross
“Is this angel a woman?” he asked excitedly.
“Yes,” she replied, “They are calling her the Avenging Angel. They say she is so pale she looks like a ghost. She said God sent her to lead them to the rebel commander. He’s training them for war.”
The excitement vanished from Lincoln’s eyes. It couldn’t have been his princess, because Braii was not pale.
The rebels must have taken a page from the Nephilim’s book, he thought to himself. And created a web of lies and propaganda to move the people into action.
“Do you know the name of this commander?”
“Erwin,” she said. “They say he lives near gate twelve. He’s highly respected, so the people are going to do whatever they can to protect him, but maybe if you asked to join his army . . .”
“That’s a great idea Simone. If I can just convince him to let me be a part of his army. Or maybe I’ll tell him I want to be a spy for the underground. That’s exactly what I’ll do.” He stood up. “Well, I’d better get going, it’s pretty late. Thanks for all your help, Simone.”
As he walked out of the room, he heard his name spoken softly.
“Lincoln,” she whispered, “Will you stay with me?”
He turned back, noticing the pain in her voice. “Are you okay?”
She buried her face in her hands and started to weep gently.
Lincoln rushed over to her. “Hey,” he said, taking her in his arms. “It’s gonna be okay. What happened?”
“My mother,” she said through sobs, “She’s not going to make it. Her infection is spreading. She needs an operation, and they won’t treat her.”
Her gentle weeping became hysterical.
Lincoln tightened his hold on her. “Listen,” he said. “You can’t think like that. Remember what I told you? I’m going to get you and your mother off this planet.”
She shook her head. “She needs it now. She won’t make it. There’s nothing left to do,” she said hopelessly, “but make her comfortable.”
“You know, everything I’ve ever wanted in my life was impossible,” he said. “And still I’ve gotten everything I believed in and worked hard for. You can’t give up this easily. Tomorrow when I go to the underground, I’ll go by and check on your mother. I’m not making any promises, but maybe there’s a way I can help her. I’ll talk to someone on Graiis. Maybe they have some ideas.” He gently wiped her tears then held her close to him, gently rubbing her back until she was calm. “I’ll stay with you as long as you need.”
She looked up at him, and he looked at her. She kissed him with all of the pain and passion of the moment, and he let her.
Braii jumped up from her sleep. Someone was knocking at the door. She ran out of her room just as Erwin was running out of his. He touched his finger to his lips and told her to be quiet. It was after 2:00AM.
“Who is it?” he asked.
“It’s me.” They both heard Pyotr’s voice. Erwin opened the door and he came in.
“What is it?” Erwin asked as they all made their way to his office.
“A Kayorian was murdered today. I just received word from above ground. They found his body.”
“Who did it?” Erwin asked calmly.
Pyotr shook his head, “I think it was us. Well one of our soldiers. Blunt force Trauma. Whoever it was knew exactly where and how hard to strike.”
“Only one person?”
Pyotr shrugged. “Maybe more. I think they’ve become radicals. There have been several reports of discord between servants and their masters, and I just got word someone is looking for you as well. We need you to lead this rebellion. I suggest you talk to the soldiers and discourage their rebellious behavior for the time being. The Kayorian battleships leave in less than a week. If we can just keep you and the princess safe until then.”
Erwin was thoughtful. “Are you sure this isn’t propaganda from the Nephilim?”
“I confirmed the report myself. The source is reliable. War or not, the Kayorians will probably be down here tomorrow looking for blood. We need to move you and Braii tonight for safety.” He sighed. The stress of the circumstances was written on his face. “What are we doing Erwin? Many of the men and women haven’t slept in days because of the training. They accept and believe anything from you now, even those ideas about food deprivation. Have we become worse than the Kayorians and their propaganda? Many of our soldiers actually believe an angel of God is guiding this war. Would they be so eager to fight with us if they knew their fates were being decided by five rebels in a basement. Maybe it was wrong of us to have created this god to indoctrinate the people.”
“No,” Erwin disagreed. “We did the right thing. We all agreed this was not only the best way, but the only way to strengthen the hearts of the people in just a short time. We are an evil; but necessary and temporary. When we conquer this planet there will be no more need for men like us, but we will have given freedom back to an entire world. Don’t lose focus. We did the right thing. Right now, the army is strong and ferocious. If we are anything less when the Kayorians go to Ash, they will slaughter us.” He turned to Braii, who was standing silently listening to the interaction between the two men. “Wake Riian up,” he said. “We have to go.”
She nodded and obeyed.
They moved through the city in the pitch black of night. Erwin carried Riian because Braii didn’t want to wake him. She covered him with a blanket so no one would know Erwin was involved with the protection of a Kayorian child.
They were met by an older man who had agreed to house them. He introduced himself as Jack, and took them to his home. They had decided It was too risky to stay in the home of any known associates, especially if the Kayorians began their search early in the morning. He led them to a small room with a tiny bed in the corner, a chair with two neatly folded blankets, and a candle melting onto a plate on the floor.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “This was my daughter’s room. You can lay the blankets out on the floor. It can get pretty cold in here. Can I get you anything to eat?”
“No,” they both said.
Braii took Riian while Erwin stepped out of the room and into the hallway with the man. He was right about the room. It was cold. Braii lay Riian in the small bed. It was a perfect fit. She removed her cloak and folded it neatly, placing it on the chair after picking up the blankets. As she watched Riian sleep soundly she wondered about the man’s daughter. She must have been very young when she died.
She spread out the large thin blanket on the floor. Erwin entered the room just as she sat down on the blanket. He shut the door behind him, but stayed near it. He looked at her. Her hair was not in braids, but the sections kept their crinkled shape. Her thick, full mane made her look wild. Her night-gown wasn’t long enough to cover her long, toned legs, and in the candle's warm glow he could see her thin yet shapely figure through the semi-transparent material.
When she noticed he kept standing near the door she asked, “Do you want to sit?”
“Ah,” he nodded. “Sure.” He sat on the blanket.
She noticed he wasn’t wearing night clothes. In fact, he hadn’t been wearing them when Pyotr came. “Do you sleep in those clothes?” she asked.
He smirked, “I don’t sleep much.”
“You should try,” she said. “You’ll have to sleep here with me,” she whispered. “There’s only one blanket.”
“No,” he replied instinctively. “You should have it.”
“Nonsense. It’s too cold.” She moved closer to him, “Why are you nervous?” she asked as her eyes examined him.
He chuckled, then shook his head. “That’s the wrong word.”
Her eyes were sympathetic but firm. “Well, I’m going to lay down. You should lay with me, under the blanket, and sleep. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but we both need to be rested.”
She lay down on the blanket and put the cover over herself. Erwin sat for several moments in the cold trying to decide if he was even capable of jus
t sleeping next to her. He sat in the same position until the cold air reached his bones, and he was covered in goosebumps. He looked at her. Her eyes were wide open, and she was covered in goosebumps too. He lifted the corner of the blanket just enough to slide under it with her. He brought his body close to hers, but not enough to touch. She turned her body to face him and moved closer. Instinctively his arms opened, enveloping her. He felt the warmth of her skin, and she felt the warmth of his.
FOURTEEN
Reunited
Lincoln woke up. His left arm was numb from the weight of Simone’s head sleeping peacefully on it. Inch by inch he slowly removed it from beneath her head. He stood over the bed and watched her sleep for several moments. She was beautiful. This was the first time he had seen her without the trouble or the phony receptionist-smile on her face. She just looked normal and beautiful.
He took a shower and dressed. Today he would go to the underground alone to search for the rebel leader named Erwin. But first, he needed to make a stop. He promised Simone he would try to help her mother, and that’s what he intended to do. He didn’t know what his options were, if any. Maybe there was medicine on the carrier. It seemed likely since the carriers were well stocked with basic necessities. He thought about the needle that twice plunged into his neck sending him into a deep and immediate sleep, first during take-off, and then when he connected with the meteor. He figured there must be something in the carrier strong enough to cure Simone’s mother. He would find it and take it to the underground.
Grabbing a bag, he stuffed his clothes for the underground into it. He took one last look at Simone sleeping peacefully, then left the room, gently shutting the door behind him. He made his way through the hotel carefully. Though he was prepared to lie, if he could avoid being seen, he wouldn’t have to. Leaving the hotel, he walked casually to the edge of town. There were only a few people on the streets as he walked, many offering warm but disinterested smiles as he passed by.
When he reached the edge, he casually glanced over his left, then right shoulder. There was no one around him. No one was watching. If he could make it across the road to the forest, he’d be in the clear. He sprinted until he was swallowed by the thick forest. He looked behind. No one was following. Turning his bracelet over, he engaged the navigation first, then turned on his communicator, sending a call to Shang.
“Lincoln, how’s it going?”
“Aw man, this place is crazy,” he said in an even tone as he made his way steadily toward the carrier. “But I need to ask you a question. I’m trying to find medicine for a disease here. Is there anything on the carrier?”
“You shouldn’t have any of those diseases,” he said. “We’re immune.”
“No, not me. A friend of mine, her mother . . . wait, did you say we’re immune? Why would we be immune? We, as in humans, or humans from Graiis?”
“From Graiis,” Shang replied. “There’s some kind of super vitamin or mineral in the soil here. Our bodies are immune to human diseases, and the Grii don’t carry disease. Although I’m not sure about the Kayorians.”
“Kymiil,” Lincoln said under his breath.
“Exactly. Hey, most people don’t know about that. How did you know?”
Lincoln remembered having a conversation with Kiina when he was younger. She said she could see inside of his body because of the concentration of a mineral in his blood called Kymiil. He replied casually, “A friend told me about it a few years ago. Anyway, is there anything on the carrier?”
Lincoln reached the spacecraft. He opened the door and stepped inside.
“No,” Shang replied. “Nothing for disease. We have bandages and painkillers . . . things like that, but no antibiotics.”
Lincoln sighed with frustration. He had come all this way, only to learn there was no medicine. He searched the carrier's medical bay and found the pain killers. After changing into the clothes he would wear underground, he put several different types of medicine into his pockets. At least he could make her mother comfortable.
He grabbed his weapons harness and secured it around his upper body above and below the chest. He decided against holstering the Fiie since he would go see Simone’s mother first. Instead, he slipped it in his pocket with the medicine, and put on a dark brown jacket to cover the harness. He didn’t know what to expect when he faced the rebel leader but he wanted to be prepared. He stepped out of the carrier and closed the door.
“Denzel?”
He froze. For a moment his heart stopped in his chest. He slowly turned around to see Wilson and Danya right there watching him.
“What are you doing?” she asked. “And why are you dressed like that?”
Lincoln blinked slowly and his peripherals took in every detail of his surroundings. The reality he now saw clearly in his mind was terrifying. They must have followed him into the forest. If that was the case, they had probably overheard his conversation with Shang. They had seen the carrier, his clothing . . . He was caught, and no lie came to his mind fast enough to explain away anything they had just seen or heard. He knew them. Danya and Wilson were not idealists, they were loyalists. They had already shown him they were determined to follow the teachings of the Kayorians, no matter how many lies they told, or how many heinous acts they committed against humanity. There would be no reasoning with them.
He began to explain himself, “I was j-just going for a walk . . . then all of a s-sudden I saw this c-carrier . . . I came over closer to get a b-better look . . .” He kept his eyes on them and fought to deliver his words with at least some casualness despite his stutter. As he spoke, his hand slowly slipped into his pocket and wrapped around the handle of the Fiie. In his mind, he saw the line in front of him, and in that moment convinced himself he had no other choice but to cross it.
Lincoln made his way back towards the forest's edge in slow leaden steps. His eyes were dazed and empty. His body was filled with adrenaline, and his stomach with nausea. He couldn’t believe what he had done.
On Graiis he had trained with the faces of Kayorian guards and soldiers in his mind, and killing them was a matter of honor. What he had done to Wilson and Danya was not honorable. The only word he could think of to describe it was “necessary.”
He looked at his hands. They were still trembling, and there were still bits of ash under his fingernails. He used the Fiie exactly as Tsamiit had taught him. She said if you slice a person through the middle with a level seven Fiie blade, it would incinerate the body completely with no blood or bone to bury. He knew this to be true, remembering the execution of his father in the Intergalactic stadium. There was nothing left of any of the men who had been slain besides small piles of ash.
Lincoln’s Fiie was only level four. He did slice them both at the same time through the middle. The Fiie moved easily through both bodies with no resistance, but afterward he was left with several charred and smoking body parts littered among the grass. He shuffled through, hurriedly collecting each of them and putting them in a bag. He took them a far enough distance from the carrier and discarded them.
When he reached the forest's edge, he checked more carefully before emerging from the cover of the trees. He was now wearing his underground attire, so anyone who saw him would probably expect him to go underground. He could see the gate from where he stood. It wasn’t far. When he was sure there was no one around he walked to it and went under.
As soon as the stairway door closed behind him, he was stopped by a guard. “Who are you?” the man asked. “And where did you come from?”
Lincoln didn’t know if he should reveal himself or not. “I am a friend of Simone’s." He took out the painkillers he had in his pocket. "Her mother is down here and she’s sick. I promised to deliver this medicine to her.”
The guard took the pack of medicine and examined it curiously. He knew the writing on the packets was foreign, but he had too much pride to reveal he didn’t know where it had come from. He thought it was perhaps another of the many things the Kayo
rians kept them ignorant of.
“Pass,” he said.
Lincoln was relieved. He entered the city and made his way through by looking at the stairway numbers. It took him more than an hour to walk from his forest entrance to the place where Simone’s mother lived. He knocked on the door and waited. There was a faint moaning from inside of the house. If she was as bad as Simone had described, maybe she couldn’t even respond to him.
Deciding to go in, he opened the door and found her in the same place she was the last time he saw her. Laid out on the little cot on the floor. Occasionally she would let out a painful moan, and she seemed barely able to move. The air in the room was stale and musty, and there was very little light. He approached and sat down next to her cot. Simone was right. She was fatally ill. Lincoln could tell she didn't have long from the color of her face, and her labored shallow breathing.
Reaching into his pocket, he took a packet of medicine and opened it. He slid his hand under her head, gently lifting it so she wouldn’t choke, then poured it into her mouth. She swallowed. He got her a cup of water and helped her drink. She was so light in his hands, he wondered how long it had been since she had last eaten. Even eating would be difficult in her condition, especially without help.
He sat next to her, listening to each hollow breath she took. A tear fell from his eye, and he quickly wiped it. He had done something terrible today, and the good he wished to do, he was incapable of. There was no medicine on the carrier because the Grii wouldn’t have needed it, and neither would he.
He looked at his hand, then balled it tightly into a fist so he could see the brownish veins crawling up and down his wrist and forearm. Shang had said people from Graiis were immune to human diseases because of a mineral in the blood. The same mineral that made the leaves on all the plants and trees turn a rich chocolaty brown. The same reason why every piece of fruit was dark in color, and every flower had rich dark undertones.