The Next Thing I Knew (Heavenly)

by John Corwin

  Well, that was why we were testing. I sent Kyle and Mike to find the right body and to keep testing until it worked. Mike was one of the team members I trusted the most next to Kyle and Anil. The dark little monster inside me wished Bethany's corpse had been unidentifiable, that she'd been the one yanked out of the shuttle and preferably catapulted into the sun by some freak chance of physics. I didn't know how serious she and Chris were, but thinking about them made me sick with anger. It distracted me like an itch in my brain.

  Mike came up with an early detection net to give us a heads up when Shaval arrived. We asked the different Rrilk crews around the world to send their shuttles into orbit and keep an eye out. The shuttles had sensors that could detect objects up to two light years out. They had to be calibrated to keep asteroids, planets, and other space junk from signaling a false alert. I left that stuff to the geeks.

  Jane and her host used one of the monstrous centipedes to dig underground tunnels and caches for Rrilk to hide in should Shaval decide to kill them with conventional means. I didn't think the poor Rrilk would stand a chance, tunnels or not, but it didn't take long and I didn't see any harm in it. Plus it was neat watching those bugs dig.

  Surprisingly, the people in our group actually did what I asked and came to me for advice. It was quite a turnaround from my pathetic attempts at self-exile. I never thought of myself as a drama queen, but things had gotten out of hand before I met Anil. I finally felt somewhat in control, not letting my emotions dictate my actions, even if the enigmatic Mr. Shaval, radioactive space turtle, was about to rock our world. And I was damned curious to know what he/she/it/they looked like.

  Anil arrived a couple of days late. He apologized but said leaving Harb before his first controlled merge with a Rrilk wouldn't have been a good idea.

  "The size of his ego is alarming," Anil said to me as we reviewed the last few days.

  I shook my head. "I don't know what else to do about him except hope he'll come into line. When is that kid going to learn there are rules of conduct even for ghosts?"

  "Careful, Lucy. You're starting to sound like an adult." Anil winked.

  "I know. Scary, right?" I put a hand on Anil's shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "We still don't have your body. Do you have relatives you want us to collect too?"

  He shook his head. "No. My master was the only family I had. If we can find his body, that would be enough."

  "Sounds good." I paused to collect my thoughts. I really hoped Anil had some idea what our next move should be. At this point I felt like we'd prepared the best we could. "You're our best. We're going to need you when Shaval arrives. I think a fast possession is in order, especially if he comes in guns blazing."

  "You may be right, but I don't recommend anything too hasty. The Rrilk took a while to assimilate. Shaval may be so different that a fast possession is impossible."

  "Which is why we're relying on you to be our first contact."

  "I don't think it should be me."

  "Who else can do it?" I gave him a horrified look. "Oh God, you don't think Harb should try do you? I know he's aggressive, but I don't trust him with that kind of power."

  "There's no way I'd recommend Harb for that operation. In my opinion there is one who rises above the rest even if this person lacks confidence at times."

  "Jane? Kyle?"

  "You."

  My face warmed, but the praise felt good and I broke out in a huge smile. "Me? I suck compared to you."

  He laughed. "I'm too cautious. You have a better sense of when to press ahead."

  "Maybe I'm just lucky. I was aggressive with Zhrrii out of necessity."

  "See? You lack confidence. Nevertheless, you're my pick for Shaval."

  The good feelings vanished, replaced by a stab of fear. "What if I mess up? I don't think I can take this pressure. Please, Anil, don't make me do this."

  "You wanted the person best suited for this. You are that person." He smiled. "Besides, Shaval may not be who or what we expect. I suggest you arrange for alternate plans."

  He was right. All my fears and worries had congealed into a straw man. Shaval might have other minions we needed to control in case he didn't show. I put out a call for a general meeting. Against my better judgment I sent for Harb's team as well. He'd only get pissed off if I left him out now. I also told him to collect their bodies if they hadn't already.

  "We have secured our bodies," Harb told me. "We will be the ones to care for them."

  "That's fine. It's better to keep them in separate locations just in case." We'd already stored the bodies in separate underground bunkers, the ones Jane had made.

  When Harb arrived I almost didn't recognize him. He looked older, maybe 14, and he wore a white business suit over his dark skin. His hair was cropped and neat. Even his shoes looked like hand-crafted leather. I remembered Jane's ability to change her appearance and wondered if Harb was doing the same.

  "Hello, Lucy. You are looking beautiful as always." He leaned over and kissed my hand.

  I tried not to shudder, remembering the kid version of him trying to come on to me as well. This version of Harb didn't bother me the same way. But he was still a kid underneath all that, right? I didn't know whether to be pleased or skeezed out.

  "You're looking older," I said, unsure what to say.

  "I have grown in many ways." He glanced around the base camp. "You have things well in hand. You are a natural leader."

  "Thanks."

  "You would do well to have a strong man by your side. It inspires confidence."

  I felt queasy. This was getting creepy. "I'm not really looking to be the leader here. It's a team effort."

  "We would make a good team." He smiled, trying to look charming, but came off sounding like a douche. I'd seen that look before on guys trying to get something from me. Something that didn't involve clothes. The thought of intimate contact with Harb sent my sex drive running away screaming.

  "Everyone here contributes. I wanted to make sure you guys are in the loop with our preparations." I filled him in on pretty much everything except Nick's presence. We were still keeping him hidden from the others. We'd found a house a little ways from home base and Zhrrii kept him supplied with food.

  Harb's eyes hardened when I told him I would be the one attempting first contact with Shaval. His appearance morphed ever so slightly and his fine leather shoes turned into grimy sandals. The whiteness of his suit faded.

  "I am best prepared for Shaval," he said. "I have been doing this longer than anyone."

  I didn't mention that he'd been doing it mostly wrong, but none of us had known that until Anil. "I'll take the risk. I want you ready to help the others if I fail. We can't risk losing you."

  He glared at me for a moment before his eyes softened and his clothes whitened. "You may be right."

  "Thanks Harb," I said, forcing myself to kiss him on the cheek. "I knew I could count on you."

  "You can always count on me, Lucy. We have always been a good pair, you and I."

  "Yeah," I said, my voice croaking from the effort of agreeing to something so ridiculous.

  He took my hand as if to kiss it. His grip tightened like a vice. I winced. Ghost or not, it hurt. Harb looked me in the eyes and smiled a horrible smile.

  "You don't fool me, Lucy. If you take Shaval from me, I will be your worst enemy."

  Chapter 20

  Before I had a chance to think of anything witty, a familiar klaxon sounded. Harb dropped my hand. His face morphed to that of his child state. His body didn't. It creeped me out. I flitted to Zhrrii.

  Is it a communication?

  Yes, from our shuttles. Shaval is here.

  In orbit?

  No. A ship appeared from nowhere as if slipping from a hole in space. It is landing now.

  So much for all our preparations. I left Zhrrii and went outside the cube. A ship about half the size of the cube hovered soundlessly over a clear patch of land. Rrilk and ghosts alike gathered outside the cube an
d gazed at the elegantly curved ship across from it. It was silver and organic and seemed to flow like liquid mercury in a perfectly clear vessel. Eddies of brown and yellow swirled. I swayed on my feet looking at it. It remained stationary about a foot off the ground.

  "It's beautiful," Jane said.

  "Must be the Lexus of spaceships," I said, trying to remember that something horrible would be emerging from that ship soon. Or maybe the ship would transform into Shaval. He could be an alien transformer robot, after all. At this point, I'd be kind of disappointed if he wasn't some sort of mechanical monstrosity.

  The Rrilk gathered together, many of them trembling in fear and anticipation. To see Shaval guaranteed death, at least from their understanding of how this worked. I wondered if I should tell them to hide in the bunkers we'd made but it was probably too late. We'd expected advanced warning, not a sudden appearance.

  Kyle appeared at my side. "Holy crap, they must have a jump drive or something to slip into orbit so fast."

  "There goes our plan to hide the Rrilk," I said. "Think soldiers will pour out of that thing any second?"

  "Let's go check it out."

  The ship didn't have windows or obvious entries of any kind. We walked and flew a circle around it but found nothing. One of the Rrilk trumpeted surprise. Kyle and I went back to the front. There was now an opening in the side of the craft. A man exited the craft, his body covered by a long white cloak. A braid held his snow white hair tight against his scalp.

  "A man?" I said. "What the hell?"

  "Maybe they kidnapped some humans before killing us."

  "He's kind of big for a human," Jane said, approaching the figure.

  As she neared him, I saw her point. He was easily nine feet tall and broad. He'd make a professional wrestler look like a ninety-pound weakling. The giant gazed from side to side, surveying the Rrilk and surroundings. A series of Rrilk symbols flashed in the air before the man, large enough to be readable even from cowering distance. It commanded the Rrilk to form lines and rows.

  "That must be Shaval," Jane said. "Who else shows up in a blinged-out spaceship and bosses everyone around?"

  "Or his bodyguard," Kyle said. "Maybe that's a genetically modified human."

  The Rrilk did as they were told.

  "Should we possess him?" Kyle asked me.

  I froze, uncertain what to do. Harb, however didn't. He approached the giant.

  "Harb, stop," I shouted.

  He shot me a glare before settling into a meditative pose.

  "That brat," Kyle said.

  "His image is slipping," Jane said.

  Harb's "mature" features melted away, returning to the young boy I'd first met, except his clothes seemed even dingier.

  Jane tsked. "His self-image is pretty bad."

  The giant didn't seem to take notice of Harb's efforts. I moved toward him, determined to stop the process if it meant shaking Harb by his knobby little shoulders. Kyle restrained me.

  "There's more going on here," he said. "Let Harb do his usual impetuous bullshit. It'll cost him."

  Once the Rrilk finished lining up, the giant stepped from the doorway to the ground. He flung the cloak back, revealing more biceps than a gym full of body builders. Four arms, each with well defined muscles jutted from his sides. The top two looked almost human, growing from beefy shoulders. The bottom two grew halfway down an elongated rib cage complete with shoulder-like muscles. A red shirt covered his torso. Loose white pants covered his legs. I wondered what he looked like naked, from a completely scientific viewpoint, of course.

  "Oh, God," Jane said.

  "What?"

  "His cloak."

  I looked at the cloak as it billowed and flapped in the breeze. Then I realized there was no breeze. The cloak was stretching of its own accord. It wasn't a cloak. The giant had wings.

  "He's an angel," Mike said where he stood near Kyle.

  Kyle groaned. "We're screwed."

  I flew to the giant and inspected him. He had ice-blue eyes and fair skin without blemish. Aside from his head, no hair grew on his body. His jaw was angular and set hard. His pale eyes looked down the length of his long wide nose with disdain at the Rrilk as they trembled in his presence. The wings emerged seamlessly from the back of the giant's red shirt. I'd expected large holes. How else could the giant put on his shirt? The wings didn't have feathers. A fine white fur covered them. They were soft as down.

  The giant flexed his wings again as he sauntered toward the Rrilk, sending me tumbling through the air.

  "He's like a Viking with wings," Kyle said with awe in his voice.

  "He's beautiful," Jane said.

  "I want wings," Mike said.

  I glared at them.

  The giant held his hand toward the Rrilk. I tensed, expecting a death ray to blast my new friends into dust. Light speared from the giant's palm and washed over the Rrilk. They cowered, tentacles twitching in protective gestures. But nothing bad happened. The giant spoke in hushed tones, too quiet for me to hear. I could have sworn I heard him sing. Harb hung in the air next to the giant, trying his best to keep his meditative state. It was hard with the big guy walking around though.

  Before Anil's teachings, he or I would've dived straight into the host, willy-nilly without a clue. Even if it'd disabled the giant, it would've only been a temporary measure.

  "Look," Jane said in a hushed voice.

  More giant angel-like creatures emerged from the ship. They were of different heights, and one was even fat. Most wore what I'd consider fashionable attire and looked generally more stylish than the red-shirted giant who'd preceded them. The females had similar anatomy to that of a human female, extra arms, wings, and height aside. Unfamiliar symbols flashed in the air between the fat one and a female of super-model looks and proportions. I counted thirteen of them.

  "I'm in love," Kyle said.

  "Get your tongue off the ground. We've got work to do."

  "Are they Shaval?" Jane asked. "Or are they his servants?"

  Mike appeared from within the ship and flitted to Kyle. "It's totally mind-blowing in there. Everything is seamless. No doors or windows, just portals that open as needed."

  "Is Shaval in there?" Kyle asked.

  "Dude, I think those angels are Shaval. I think it's the name of a race, not a person."

  "There's no boss monster in the ship?"

  "No giant robots?" I asked hopefully.

  Mike raised an eyebrow at me. "Nope."

  Kyle vanished inside the ship anyway. I didn't blame him for the double-check. I intended to do it later. In the meantime, we had to take care of the new kids on the block. They might look like angels on the outside, but they were demons on the inside. I chose the hottest female in the bunch as my host. It was a tougher choice than you'd think since half of the thirteen Shaval were female and they all looked sexier than any human woman I could think of. Their facial features and proportions were different. One female clearly had bigger boobs than the others. One was almost flat-chested by comparison. Even so she probably wore an F-cup by human measurements.

  I chose the female with the most exquisite features and black hair. She had a long narrow nose; her ears almost reached a point at the top, and her pale eyes seemed sad. I guess it made her look empathetic. I guarded myself against thinking any of these people had sympathy or cared at all about the Rrilk or humans. The other things I liked about her, and I would never admit it even under torture, were her shoes. They were made of a fine black leather-like material and ran up her bare calves in a vine pattern. The intricate designs reminded me of a pair of expensive Gucci shoes I'd fantasized about for prom. All of the females' shoes looked amazing, but hers were artsy and tasteful with a touch of sexual innuendo.

  Kyle would kill me if he knew I was goggling over their shoes, I thought. How did these genocidal maniacs have such good taste?

  Without exception, the Shaval had fair creamy skin. Some had very mild blemishes like a freckle or two but nothing majo
r. Even the fat guy looked pretty handsome for someone with a spare tire hanging on his waist. The other men were more beautiful than they were handsome. Their lips were too full and pink, their eyes too large. They all wore their hair in long braids.

  "She is a walking wet dream," Jane said, pointing at a blonde female.

  "Don't get too excited," I said. "If they're Shaval, then they're murderous bastards."

  "Maybe Shaval is God, and those are angels."

  My chest tightened at the thought. "I hope not. I can't stand the thought of Ms. Tate saying she told me so."

  "What are they doing?"

  I looked as the Shaval walked up and down the rows of Rrilk, sometimes stopping to scan them with a bright light. The fat guy stopped in front of a Rrilk and symbols flashed between them. I missed what he transmitted. The Rrilk trumpeted something back and symbols flashed in the air again. I realized the Rrilk was telling him his name and position.

  Harb continued his attempt with the red-shirted Shaval as the guy stood like a rock watching the twelve others conduct their survey. I figured Redshirt was the Shaval equivalent of the Secret Service. Harb was oblivious to that useful nugget of information since he'd settled into a deep meditative state. Anil had taught the little asshole well, I had to admit. I wondered how long it would be before Harb realized he was assimilating the Shaval equivalent of a mall cop.

  I giggled.

  Kyle emerged from the ship, a dazed expression on his face. He started to blather on about the wonder ship, but I shushed him for the time being.

  "Time for Ghost Squad Alpha to assemble for Shaval host assignments," I said. Ghost Squad, by the way, was our "official" name, chosen by vote. The name was Kyle and Mike's idea. My choice, Alien Avengers, had narrowly lost but at least it had been better than Karma's A Bitch, the name Jane had suggested. I showed Kyle the female I had picked. He picked out a dark-haired male.

  "This is like choosing ice cream flavors," he said. "They all look so good."