Phantoms

by T. R. Harris

  Summer turned to him, her eyes flaring. “What the fuck do you think? Would an immortal Sol-Kor bitch be crying like this? She would be in more control. And that’s what she wants, control.”

  “Can you communicate with her?” Monty asked.

  Summer shook her head. “Not really, not verbally anyway. I just get these feelings. But they’re getting stronger. She’s getting stronger!”

  “And yet she has helped us,” Tidus pointed out. “Perhaps this is not as bad as you suspect.”

  “I have another creature living inside me, Tidus! Of course it’s as bad as I suspect. She’s here all the time. You have no idea what that feels like. I’m never alone. It’s driving me crazy.”

  “She seems to only come at times of stress,” Monty offered. “Perhaps now that we’re safe—and with Adam due here in a few hours—she won’t be so…so aggressive. Try to relax. We’ll get Adam to hook us up with the mutants when he gets here. Even though you say they don’t know what’s happening, maybe they can figure it out.”

  “That is correct, Summer. For now, let us eat and rest. We should sleep in shifts. I will take the first sentry period.”

  “I can’t sleep! She comes to me in my dreams. And after all that’s happened today, I’m afraid to close my eyes.”

  Monty pressed her back on the couch. “Please try. I’ll be here with you. If I notice anything, I’ll wake you up—”

  A moment later, Summer’s eyes fluttered shut, and she fell into a deep sleep.

  Monty shook her, afraid of what this could mean. Had J’nae taken over? Was his daughter lost to the alien presence, possibly forever? He gently slapped her face. Still no response. He checked her pulse and pulled open her eyelids. Everything seemed normal. She was asleep. Monty tried to imagine what hell she was going through in her mind. Without the power of consciousness to hold back the demon, Summer would be vulnerable to…to what?

  Monty looked desperately to Tidus. There was sorrow displayed on the normally stoic face of the Juirean. “She may not come back,” Monty said to his alien friend.

  “Comfort her. She will need the feel of your hand on hers to remind her of who she is. I will go to the command center and stand watch. Advise me of any developments.”

  13

  All right, what now?

  Summer was aware she was asleep. How that happened so quickly, she could only guess. It wasn’t of her own doing. She sensed J’nae was anxious for a meeting of the minds. Laughing internally at the play on words, she thought: Minds, plural. Ain’t that some shit? Yes, she was now of two minds, and as she had said to Tidus, she was never alone, not anymore. As a fiercely independent person, the revelation did not bring her comfort or security, rather a feeling of loss. Her life was no longer hers; her decisions constantly influenced by someone—or something—else. As long as J’nae remained inside her body, she would never be Summer Rains again.

  She firmed her thoughts, determined not to go quietly into the night. She would fight for her identity, for her body and her soul. But how?

  You are my enemy. Leave me!

  A distant voice came to her mind.

  I… am… not… your… enemy.

  The words formed in her mind like wisps of smoke. They were there, just not well-defined. Summer knew they were not her own. Was it now possible to speak with the invader? If so, could the thing be reasoned with?

  You say you’re not my enemy, yet you control me.

  I am… not your enemy.

  The words became clearer, more adamant.

  Are you J’nae?

  I am…part of J’nae. Continue. I am learning.

  Learning what, how to talk?

  How to form my thoughts. And how to connect them to yours.

  Anger erupted within Summer. Let me know when you’re ready to have a serious conversation, you alien bitch. I’m not going to let you have my body, not without a fight. What do you want from me?

  Within her mind’s eye, Summer could see a dark void. It wasn’t black, nor was there light. It was…nothing. And the large yellow eye was gone, as well, even though she expected it to show up at any moment to scare the shit out of her.

  What do I want? the voice answered. I… I want to live.

  Then go live somewhere else. I don’t want you in my body.

  I am… learning. How I got here. I… I see now.

  Good for you; what do you see?

  How I got here.

  I know how you got here, Summer thought. What I want to know is how do I get rid of you?

  I do not know.

  Summer could feel her body trembling. She had heard others speak of J’nae aboard the Colony Ship. Before that, she knew nothing of the alien. Who and what she was had been kept a secret from Humanity and the rest of the galaxy. But what she’d learned recently was that she had once been the queen of the Sol-Kor, a race of flesh-eating animals from another universe. It sounded crazy, the whole inter-dimensional thing. But she knew it to be true. She was just a kid when the terror of the Sol-Kor was coursing through the Milky Way. Her mother and friends lived in fear for the time, thinking Earth was to be the next planet harvested by the aliens.

  And then they heard how Adam Cain and Riyad Tarazi killed the first five-thousand-year-old queen of the Sol-Kor, bringing the threat to an end. What few people knew, however, was that the mutant Panur had created a second queen—a backup—to take over in case the first died unexpectedly. That second queen was J’nae, the same evil presence that was inside her. It was also her essence—the distilled remains of her… soul—that had made the ancient Aris immortal and turned Kracion into the mad killing machine he became. As insane as all that sounded, Summer was now right in the middle of things. She was now a major player in the story.

  Within her mind, she felt as if she curled into the fetal position, surrendering to inevitability. She had a cancer growing inside her, and the prognosis was terminal.

  I sense an incredible foreboding, Summer Rains, said the voice inside her mind. I do not understand your reaction.

  You don’t understand? What are you, stupid or something? You have infected my body, and you’ve been controlling my actions. Do you also possess my mind, my thoughts?

  I do not control your mind. I appear to exist within your body, although your mind and your thoughts are beyond my reach. I communicate with you now because you wish it. This is a new experience for me, to be in another and to be so aware. However, it is I who is the prisoner, not you.

  Bullshit. You take over my body whenever you damn well please.

  I sense danger, and I am able to assist in the self-preservation of the host, that is all. This may change as I learn more. But for now, I am but a passenger within your body.

  And you won’t leave?

  I am not sure I can. I can sense every part of your body. I have been integrated throughout. However, I am under your control, not the other way around.

  But you took over—twice. I didn’t ask for that.

  You did this last time. I heard you, and I steadied your hand and gave you enhanced vision.

  And before?

  I sensed a request, and your body came willingly. I suspect that with more practice you will be able to hold me back.

  Summer wanted desperately to believe the voice in her head, yet J’nae admitted this was new to her. Eventually, the immortal mutant creature would find a way to take over. That was inevitable.

  Even if that was true, I don’t want you here. Can you just…go away?

  Why would you want that? We can work together for the betterment of the organism—

  Because I want my identity back. I want to be me again.

  I am beginning to understand. I too, have felt the loss of individual identity, where one is predestined to an eternity without choice.

  Bullshit. How can you know?

  I do. Allow me to explain. It is the story of my creation. It is common knowledge within certain factions that Panur created me, yet few know how he did it. I will
now tell you—

  I don’t give a damn how you were created? I obviously can’t uncreate you.

  Please, let me explain. It will have meaning. The basic process of my creation was relatively simple. First, Panur built a series of neutral bodies—you would call them blanks—complete with all the necessary biological necessities for life. Although these creatures had form, they were without thoughts, emotions or memories. It was into these creations that Panur infused them with the essence that was to become me. However, it was not just me. It was a combination of all who had come before in his grand experiment, including Panur himself, as well as the Eternal Queen. Once I was introduced into the host body, it became mine to use. You will be interested to learn that it was through this same process that the Queen and her technicians first created Panur, although he has long since taken over the process of his own evolution.

  So you’re pissed off because you didn’t get to select your own body? None of us have a choice in that, Summer told the entity.

  But it was not only the body I inherited. It was also a destiny. Panur created me for a single purpose: to change how the Sol-Kor race reproduce. He understood the precarious nature of their existence, where a single being was responsible for all the newborns, and how the loss of a queen could kill off the entire race. I was to set a new course for the Sol-Kor. I was to produce generations of females who would then breed more females. Eventually, the Sol-Kor would be independent of the queen, able to sustain their numbers through widespread gender mating. It would be a radical change. Whereas the former queens ruled the race and were revered as gods, I was to be but a temporary accommodation, one which would be discarded once the race reached a point of sustainability without me.

  Poor little J’nae. No one wanted to treat you like a god—or goddess, in your case.

  That is not my point. I had not aspired to the role I would play, nor did I have a choice of how my life would be spent. I was immortal, yet my role was limited. I was not needed for my wisdom, intelligence or longevity, but merely as a catalyst to something else.

  Within her mind, Summer snickered. So it was as if someone took over your body and began to call all the shots. I get it. You and I are so much alike it’s uncanny. She wondered if the sarcasm was conveyed to the alien through her thoughts. She hoped so. But you did something about it, Summer continued. You went on to make your own decisions. And you could do that because you didn’t have a second personality occupying your body.

  Yes, I sought another path. When I learned of the Aris and their quest for immortality, I envisioned spreading my essence among these ancient creatures, learning from them, experiencing their eternal quest for knowledge and living an existence of fulfillment, of free will. I volunteered to merge with them.

  What does all this have to do with me? Why can’t I get you out of me?

  I ask why you would want that? To you, I am like the Aris, more advanced, and with abilities far beyond yours. Together we could become more than the sum of our parts.

  At this point, it was obvious J’nae meant to stick around, even if a way could be found to purge her—and short of that—a way to keep her suppressed. But J’nae did have a point. What if Summer needed her again? It might be cool to have a superbeing sitting in reserve, in case she was needed to operate advanced weaponry or to kick some butt. Summer didn’t know how to control the presence at this time, but perhaps she could learn… and before J’nae learned how to suppress Summer….

  14

  The survey crew had extracted data from the ship’s computers and was feeding it to TeraDon Fief when his assistant came to his office carrying his datapad.

  “What have you learned, Calan?”

  Calan Drak was a Reegin, a thickly-built, green-skinned alien from the other side of the galaxy. He’d been in the Gradis Cartel for over ten standard years and proven himself capable in a variety of tasks. TeraDon had inherited him as his second a year before when given the assignment to work with the mysterious Te’moc. He was now an integral part of the operation.

  “They are in the Blue Sector.”

  “Blue? However, they were on the E-4.”

  “They turned off and headed north. Their path is obvious, although no new sightings have been reported in two hours.”

  “They have vanished?”

  “Apparently.”

  TeraDon clenched his fists. How many times could these creatures slip through his grasp? The only consolation was neither the Tribes nor members of the rival criminal cartel—the Cassor Confederation—had found them, yet. There was still the possibility he could redeem both himself and the Cartel in the eyes of the client.

  And unlike the others, TeraDon had the starship and its internal database.

  Calan sat across the desk from his superior as TeraDon began scanning the information coming in from the field agents. He relayed the information to his second.

  “The ship is of Formilian design and registry, currently attached to the United Defense Force. Te’moc failed to inform us of that. Attacking a Defense Force vessel could have consequences if it were known the attack was intentional.”

  “And the crew? Te’moc is obsessed with finding them.”

  “He will not be pleased. The records show only two Humans and a Juirean aboard.”

  “A Juirean…and Humans.” Calan stretched out a thin smile. “That would have been a tense atmosphere.”

  “Normally, but times are changing, Calan. Apparently, they were working together, returning from Zinnol to Formil.”

  Now Calan frowned. “And no others?”

  TeraDon bobbed his head. “No. As I said, Te’moc will not be pleased. He is under the impression there are others aboard. There have never been, according to the official records.”

  “And what of the other dead, the four unknowns?”

  “They have been identified. All locals.” TeraDon then leaned in close to his screen. “Records show the Juirean—he is called Tidus Fe Nolan—is a former employee of Priority Acquisitions.”

  “That must be a mistake.”

  “No, it is correct. Apparently, he left the Authority twenty years before and joined them. Recently, however, he has been working with Adam Cain and his Humans, although not as a formal member of his team.”

  “Adam Cain! That would mean the mutants could also be involved.”

  TeraDon both cursed and praised Adam Cain’s mutant daughter, Lila. He cursed her for destroying the headquarters of the Cartel on the planet Navior, along with their long-time leader, Frandon G’Bur. But he also praised her for opening up positions in the new leadership, of which TeraDon was destined to join soon.

  “That is not our concern, Calan. He is not on Sasin, nor are the mutants. But I see that one of the dead unknowns was also a former affiliate of PA. Is that not a coincidence?”

  “We damage their ship, and it comes to Sasin. The Juirean calls a prior associate for assistance. That would make sense.”

  “And now the fugitives are gone, and the local PA representative is dead.”

  TeraDon had a thought. He tapped the keys on his computer and pulled up the local address for the dead PA representative.

  “Provide a map of the sightings,” he commanded of Calan. He turned the datapad so TeraDon could see. “It lines up. They have gone to Anoc Firostum’s residence. That is where they are hiding.”

  Calan nodded. “Excellent deduction, TeraDon.”

  “Provide me with a detailed layout of the building. Then prepare an assault team. Make them ready for combat against Humans and Juireans.” TeraDon saw Calan grimaced. “Yes, it will not be easy, so spare no cost. We go at first light.”

  15

  “Awaken, Monty!” The voice only inches from his face shocked him from his slumber. He’d fallen asleep at Summer’s side when he should have been watching her.

  “What… what is it?”

  “Look.” The Juirean said, pointing to one of the large monitors in the room. “I transferred an image from the com
mand center to here.”

  Monty focused on the screen. It showed a front view of the parking area just inside the main gate. There were dozens of aliens scaling the wall, with even more already inside the perimeter.

  “You need to wake Summer. We will need her help.”

  Monty looked down at his sleeping daughter. He’d tried to wake her before, but she was too far under the influence of the alien J’nae to come out of her coma. A glance at his watch showed he’d slept for an hour. He tried her again. This time she was awake a moment later, looking groggy and even more tired than before.

  “Get up, Sum, we have company.”

  Summer was off the couch a moment later. “How did they find us?”

  “Undoubtedly because of the missing guards,” Tidus said. “The catwalk was within plain view of the surrounding towers. Their absence had to be noted.”

  The trio watched the screen for a moment, surprised at the number of creatures amassed outside. Summer noticed that half of them wore semi-clean uniforms.

  “Who are they?”

  Tidus moved closer to the screen to see the insignia on the shirts.

  “They are members of the Cassor Confederation, a rival cartel to the Gradis on Sasin. Since Lila’s attack on the Gradis, the Confed has been attempting to gain more ground for themselves. Again, recruitment is a fertile business on Sasin.”

  “Why are they working with the Tribes? Those are Blues, aren’t they? It’s hard to tell in the light.”

  “Yes, they are. Perhaps they have partnered since prior attempts to secure us have failed. Half of a bounty is better than no bounty at all. I have brought up more weapons from the armory, along with several small explosives.”

  “Can we seriously hold them off?” Summer asked. “There’s a whole planet after us. And now that they know where we are….”

  “We have no choice. Perhaps Adam’s spaceship can provide us with cover. In that event, there will be much collateral damage to the surrounding neighborhood, but that cannot be avoided.”