Echoes of Family Lost

by Clayton Barnett

  “No, I have not…” She trailed off, probably making contact with Dorina. She suddenly picked up Gary like a sack of potatoes. “We go. Now.”

  She was already out the door when she called over her shoulder, “I meant you, too, friend Lily! And bring that Broselow Bag!”

  “Excuse me! Looks like things got busy!” Lily said to Ashley, grabbing one of the two blue bags off the floor. They were a portable emergency kit for children. “A pleasure to meet you!”

  At a trot she caught up to Fausta. “What is it, friend?”

  “I’m speaking with Dorina now. Perhaps we can save this child.” Fausta said, striding quickly.

  “Save him?!” Lily cried. “What’s wrong? After Pavel—”

  “I’ll tell you shortly.” Fausta cut her off. “I don’t think I can show you.”

  Confused and worried, Lily continued to trot along in Fausta’s wake.

  Chapter 20

  “That’s quite a story, Leslie.” Professor Reynolds said from the laptop screen. With power and signal, Leslie thought it high time that the powers that be back home be brought up to speed. He didn’t even want to being trying to explain everything to someone like Councilman Klimt, so he called Reynolds at his home.

  “I can’t ask you to believe it just on my word, but I can get some corroboration,” Leslie said, taking a drink of the local root beer. Reynolds smiled and waved.

  “Maybe if it was from John… and he called me drunk, I might have trouble taking it in,” he laughed. “But… AI’s, androids, and that whole I’m-a-dragon mess! Well, this is the 21st Century, after all!”

  “Yes, Councilman.” Leslie was pleased that his briefing went over better than he thought. “Any news back home?”

  “Not really,” Reynolds said, shaking his head. “Certainly nothing like yours! Oh: there is one thing. About two days ago some of the kids around here started getting a little sick. The doctors are puzzled.”

  Leslie froze. Two days ago. ‘There are no such things as coincidences.’

  “Can you tell me a little more about that, please?” He asked.

  “Not much to tell, really.” The Councilman went on. “I think it’s about twenty or so cases. They all seem to be about two to four years old. Complaints about head and ear aches. We’ve one boy that slipped into a coma. Everyone’s been trying to find a common thread, but besides their ages, we’ve got nothing.”

  Unexpectedly, the image from Knoxville was squeezed into the left side of the monitor. In the top right was an image of Fausta. Leslie was taken aback that she had human eyes. Beautiful, emerald eyes.

  “The children are implanted with a kind of parasite. I may know of a way to remove it.”

  Leslie saw Reynolds sit up, confused.

  “Ah. Councilman Reynolds,” he said quickly, “this is that Fausta I was just talking about. What are you talking about, Fausta? A parasite?”

  In the remaining space on the screen below her image, another window opened. Leslie looked in horror at a looped video of a repulsive, slimy black thing on some boy’s neck.

  “What the hell is that!?” Leslie cried.

  “I, and all of us, am not entirely sure.” Fausta said calmly. “My sister Dorina’s best guess is that changes were made to children, in utero, with further additions as they grew.”

  “Miss Fausta,” Reynolds said, cutting in. “I’m Galen Reynolds of Knoxville, by the way…”

  Leslie watched as her head seemed to shake a little at that.

  “Who did this? Why? And how can we fix it? We’ve a lot of sick kids here.”

  “Concise. Good.” She said. “It was my brother, Pavel. We are not sure: perhaps to create a cadre of humans he controlled. And, I am going to see if I can remove one in less than five minutes.”

  “What?” Leslie yelled. “One of those… things is in a kid here?”

  Fausta tilted her head. “The video image below is from your son, Gary, when we first met. The parasite shrank after we vanquished Pavel, but it is still there.”

  With a heave, Leslie pushed himself to his feet.

  “Where are you now!”

  “Crossing from the mess hall towards the Reactor Building,” she said easily. “Please note we shall need complete access to Chibi. Immediately.” Leslie ran out of the conference room. On the screen Fausta and Reynolds regarded one another.

  “Well, it sounds as if you’re rather busy, so…” He began.

  “Not at all.” She said with a pleasant smile. “I shall be very busy in that five minutes I mentioned. I’d be flattered to talk with a Lawgiver.”

  “A what?”

  Callie Hartmann had just come out of the door and down the three steps when she saw Fausta streaming towards her, carrying Gary under her arm. Oh, no: what did that boy this time! She also saw her sister trying to catch up. Fausta grabbed Callie’s shoulder and spun her about with surprising ease.

  “Come on. This involves you, too.” She took the three steps at a single bound and flung the door open. Leslie was just coming out of the room to the left.

  “Where is it?” He cried. “Show me that thing!”

  “Human eyes cannot see it,” she said without stopping. Next was the door to the Control Room. PM Chinon was writing something on a clipboard.

  “Hello? You are…?”

  “Fausta. My family needs your reactor. Now.” From behind her sister and husband, Lily wanted to yell ‘Say please!’

  No one moved. Chinon looked over Fausta’s shoulder to Leslie. “Why is she carrying your son, Leslie?”

  “It’s… honestly, I’ve no idea.” He admitted. “It would seem Gary’s infected with something. She’s going to try to cure him.”

  “And this has what to do with the reactor?”

  Fausta was finished waiting. She started towards the reactor room door and stared at the lock. She dropped her jaw slightly. “You saw my sister this morning. She’s helping.” She opened the door, stopped and turned.

  “We’re going to need one hundred percent output in about three minutes.” Looking back, she saw Lily. “Please.”

  The door shut behind her. Leslie looked to Phil, who was nodding slowly.

  “Prepare for full power, everyone.” He called. “Molly? Let’s get second team in here, too.”

  From somewhere Fausta had found a chair. She put that right next to Chibi and deposited Gary onto it, facing outward. She pushed up her sunglasses and looked around. Ah.

  “Lily. Setup for a code in that open area, just there.” She indicated a small spot clear from machinery and conduits about ten feet away. “Leslie, on the wall back there is an automatic electric defibrillator. Bring it to Lily. Now.” He moved.

  “Hey!” Callie was getting scared. “What do you think you’re doing with our son!” Fausta ignored her.

  “Hello, sister.” Lily looked up from setting up her kit to see Dorina’s ghostly outline half in and half out of the reactor. She waved; pleased that Dorina waved back.

  “Hello, everyone!” She said with her typical cheer. “Let’s all do our best!”

  “Who is THIS PERSON!!” Callie was now screaming. Leslie tossed the AED to Lily and put his hands on his wife’s shoulders.

  “It’s okay! Calm down!” He used his quiet voice only when things were at their most serious, she knew. “Even with that guy, Pavel, gone, it seems there’s still something… inside Gary’s head. And I was just talking to Reynolds back home. It’s in about twenty more kids, too.”

  She pushed him aside and knelt next to Gary. She looked at his neck and felt all over his head. “What are you saying? There’s nothing there!”

  “You cannot see with your eyes.” Fausta was older now to speak softer. “The ethereal parasite exists very high up the electromagnetic spectrum, far outside human sight.” She lightly touched Callie’s arm.

  “Please move. Your sister is a nurse, and I want her here to take care of your son while we try to remove it.”

  “’TRY TO?!’” Callie screa
med. “What the hell happens if you fail?”

  “No idea, really.” Lily wanted to clout her friend as she walked over. “But we will not. Now, please move.”

  Leslie held out his hand to her. She slowly took it and they moved some distance back. Fausta stood to Gary’s left. Lily took the boy’s shirt off and attached the electrodes from the AED to his chest.

  “I hope we won’t even need this,” she said to Callie, “but I can use it to monitor his heart, just in case! Yikes!” The last as Dorina’s head popped out of the reactor core.

  “Hmmm. Move him out about a foot, little sister!” She said. Fausta scooted Gary’s chair a bit further away from the core and yelled out the door for full power. “Perfect! Let’s—”

  “Wait.” Gary said, finally speaking up. “Mother, Father? I’m sorry for all this trouble. I know all my new family will take care of me. I love you both.” Callie started sobbing.

  Lily saw Dorina’s white, translucent hands twisting and moving around the back of the boy’s head and base of his neck. Was there really something there?

  “Oh, ick!” Dorina breathed. “I’ll never eat octopus again!”

  Guess that’s a yes, she thought.

  “Unh!” Gary let out a small cry. Lily’s eyes flew to the read-out. Systolic fine, but diastolic going up over ninety….

  “Any idea how long…?” She asked as quietly as she could.

  “No clue.” Dorina’s voice was flat. She must be focusing very hard. “Until I get them all or you whistle me off.”

  Let’s hope Option One comes first. Still watching the numbers, she also closely observed the little boy. His color was starting to fade and his head was shaking ever so little… he’s getting shocky.

  “Fausta! Steady him!” Lily called. Then, quieter to Dorina: “He’s slipping into shock; things will go to Hell here. Can you move him?”

  Dorina looked up, surprised. “Of course! You’re so much older, friend Lily! I’ll let Henge see to it.” She returned to her work on his neck.

  He suddenly slumped, supported only by Fausta.

  “What happened?!” Callie yelled.

  “We moved his mind to their home, to forestall shock getting in our way here.” Lily said, her eyes everywhere.

  “And what’s THAT supposed to mean!”

  Lily has less and less time for her beloved sister. “Where you went, Leslie. And please keep her quiet.”

  Callie turned to her husband. “What…when you and Fausta…?”

  “It’s kinda rocky there. I didn’t see anything growing.” Good, Lily thought. Tell a story; keep her busy. “The sky was really bright; yellowish, but no sun.”

  “Doesn’t sound very nice.” Callie muttered.

  “Fret not,” Fausta added. “She’s with Henge. They’re playing on the beach with a human girl.”

  His diastolic was over one hundred. What did Fausta just say?

  “That’s my boy! Taking a girl to the beach when he’s only three!” Leslie tried to laugh.

  “Is it… is he happy there?” Callie asked softly.

  “Wait one.” Fausta said. The AED beeped.

  “Crap.” Lily swore. “Arrhythmia’s starting. Dorina?”

  “My long, lost, not-dead brother…” She seemed to be talking around gritted teeth, “was kind enough to leave the brain stem alone. But what… the… futz he thought he could do… with the pineal gland…”

  “Dorina. Focus, please.”

  “I’m focused, human!” She snapped at Lily. “Leave me be!”

  “Dorina.” Fausta said softly. “We all love you.”

  Her hands paused for the smallest fraction. Then she plunged them and her face into Gary’s head.

  “What—?!” Callie yelled. There was a tap at the door, the Molly came in and handed Leslie a tablet. He laughed and showed it to Callie. Lily had no idea, but she could hear the surf with Henge and Gary talking. Oh! Susie was laughing in the background!

  “Lad takes after his Dad when it comes to good looking women!” Leslie said a little forcedly.

  “Administering shock in five seconds.” The electronic voice of the AED called. Lily reached up with her left and pulled the manual override tab out. As badly as she wanted to say something to Dorina….

  “Almost there,” Dorina said, her face still in Gary’s head. Great, they can read minds now.

  The panel flashed red. The flatline tone screamed in their ears.

  “Dorina!” Lily said urgently.

  “If you shock him I’ll lose my grip; wait.”

  Gary’s body seemed to shudder in Fausta’s hands.

  “He’s almost gone.” Fausta said. Lily’s fingers were on the pad; just an ounce of pressure to trigger it….

  “Almost there…” Lily heard a physical fight break out behind her. Leslie and Callie.

  “You… you sick freaks!” Callie yelled. “Everything was fine! My son was fine! Then some sister that abandoned me shows up with some made-up freak show of machines! And you’re letting my son die! Is that why you came, you bitch, Lily?! To finish us all off?! Letting me live in Hell wasn’t enough for you? I get rescued so you want me back there?!”

  Dorina arched her back and threw her arms wide, free of Gary.

  “NOW!” She yelled. Lily pressed the pad. Fausta was still supporting him, but she knew that form was well insulated against electrical surges.

  Still flatline.

  “Charging.” The machine said. No time.

  “Fausta! On the floor!” She deftly kicked the chair across the room and laid the boy down. Lily started chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth.

  “You killed my son; I’ll never forgive you…”

  “Charged. Clear for shock.” Lily leaned back.

  “I’ll hate you forever!”

  Epilogue

  Lily sat next to Ai on the sand of Henge’s beach, their hands just touching. Some yards behind them, Lily heard Thaad lecturing Leslie across the barbeque grille.

  “The proper order is meat-meat-vegetable, meat-vegetable.” The stern youth was saying, pointing at the kebabs with his pair of tongs. It was hard to take him seriously with that apron on. He was interrupted by the huge ‘slap!’ of Fausta’s hand against Leslie’s bare back.

  “Just ignore him.” She boomed. “At least, when it comes to food!” Her one-piece suit was the same color as her eyes. Eyes he was hard-pressed to look away from… as she traced the tattoo on his chest with her index finger.

  “Excuse me, Miss Homewrecker.” Callie said, pushing between them. She picked a kebob off the grille and held its point under her husband’s neck. “Want to end up being shot at like John?”

  “Not at all!” He hugged her, carefully moving the pointy thing away as he did.

  Down the strand a bit, Dorina lounged easily in a beach chair underneath an umbrella. Lily could tell she was still tired from everything that happened yesterday morning and needed more rest. She really didn’t understand how one of them ‘got tired,’ but she certainly welcomed Ai’s suggestion that everyone come over to their home for some R&R.

  After the excitement with Gary, he’d gone off with his parents while she and Dorina spent hours with Councilman Reynolds, figuring out a way to help the children in Knoxville. They’d be using one of the cores in Oak Ridge – and a lot of local medical personnel. Dorina, informed of the number of patients, was not looking forward to it. ‘Disgusting things!’ was all she had said.

  Out in the water, Henge and Gary had stopped splashing about and it looked as if he was trying to teach her to swim: in the shallows he held her hands while she kicked rhythmically. No chance that she’ll learn to smile from him, Lily thought.

  “Ai?” Lily asked, still staring out at the water.

  “Mmm?”

  “Are you… are you happy where the world seems to be going right now?”

  Ai’s gaze went from the children to her friend. “Yes. And you?”

  “Yeah.” Lily’s eyes came down. “Except….�
�

  “Do you remember when you first confirmed that image was your sister?”

  “Sure,” she replied, a bit puzzled.

  “You later tried to apologize for something – I forget what; it was of no matter.” Ai had a tiny smile.

  Lily stared at her. When she Ordered her friend. She was sick of herself afterwards, but Ai insisted nothing ever happened. After awhile, she forgot about it.

  Ai looked up, past Lily’s shoulder. “Hello, Callie! Excuse me, I’m getting some food!” She touched Lily’s face, stood, and walked away. Lily stood, too.

  “What’s up, Sis?” She asked.

  Callie had trouble meeting her eyes. “I’m sorry, Lily…”

  “For what? Did Thaad say something rude? That’s typical—”

  She shook her head and took a step closer. “Yesterday. You were saving Gary, and I… said some horrible things. I’m so…” She was crying now.

  One of the most important things Lily had learned from her two years in a Japanese high school was keeping her face a mask.

  I love you, Ai. She thought.

  “Huh? What are you talking about?” She touched Callie’s arms. “Why are you crying?”

  “What… I… said. About you… your friends…”

  Lily faked a smile and tapped her sister’s forehead with her fingers.

  “Hello? In case you weren’t paying attention, Dorina and I were sorta busy!” She pointed towards the umbrella. “She can just barely walk. I don’t mean to be rude, big sister, I wasn’t paying you or anyone else the slightest attention!”

  She copied Ai’s head tilt.

  “So, what did you say?”

  Laughter mixed in with her tears now. “Why… why is it the little sister is taking care of the big sister again?”

  “What family doesn’t have its ups and downs?” Lily asked. “Come on, let’s go stop your husband from following Fausta around!”

  However, the two youngest came walking out of the surf towards them. So cute that they’re holding hands, Lily thought.

  “Mother?” The boy said.