Guardian

by Matthew S. Cox

  “You did. I saw it too.”

  “Good.” She calmed. “I haven’t had any luck finding a job on Earth, and I don’t want to go to a colony. There’s some stuff on the Moon but the pay is like half of this… and I get three months off, paid.”

  “Well… If it starts making you question your sanity.”

  Lindsey smiled. “They’ll fire me before I go crazy. They have head doctors on staff here.”

  “Can you think of anyone who died within the past… twenty or so years who might blame you for it? Even if it makes no sense?”

  “Uhh. Twenty years ago, I was six. I’ve had a boring life. Spent most of it online either in school or NOI.”

  “NOI?”

  “Nothingness of Infinity. It’s an MMO where the whole of North America is like West City – no Badlands. All cyberspace hacking and stuff. I’ve got a level 284 NetShade.”

  “So you log into cyberspace to play a game that’s all about logging into cyberspace?”

  Lindsey rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that’s like the esoteric ironic part of it all.”

  Kirsten’s gaze darted to a shadow passing by the door. “Some people can take those games too seriously. Did you have any experiences in the game that might have made someone angry enough to want to hurt you… possibly after killing themselves?”

  Lindsey gawked at her. “Did you see that guy? How did he kill himself? By swallowing a gallon of acid?”

  “Good point.” Kirsten grumbled and tried to massage calm into the bridge of her nose with both hands. Shit this is frustrating. “It’s gotta be the same guy.”

  “Hmm?”

  “I’ve had a couple reports that are a lot like what happened to you, only yours is the worst so far. At least worst in terms of danger. In every case so far, I’ve come up empty handed. I can’t connect any sort of motive and there’s no common thread between the people being attacked.”

  “Sorry.” Lindsey scrunched up her face, as if deep in thought. “I… really can’t think of anyone except for maybe this one girl… She was playing a boy character in NOI and we were like dating… I found out it was a girl for real and called it off. Not my thing.”

  “Did she take it hard?”

  “Uhh, a little stalky type stuff, but she got over it.” Lindsey looked over. “That was like ten years ago. I was sixteen.”

  “Do you remember the girl’s name?”

  “I never knew it… her character was Itsuko585.”

  “Well that’s something…” Kirsten stood. “I’m stuck here until morning and the next shuttle leaves.”

  “I’d hang, but… I’m stuck on medical restriction. Not supposed to leave here ‘till I’m cleared.”

  Kirsten sat on the next Comforgel pad. “Not like I’ve got plans… I can stay with you if you’d like someone to talk to.”

  “Sure if you want. At least until they kick you out at ten.”

  “So, what do you want to talk about?”

  “Are you a cop now or just some girl who flew four hundred thousand miles to drag my ass inside?”

  Kirsten laughed.

  “How ‘bout a ghost story?” Lindsey rolled on her side and propped her head on one arm. “What’s the funkiest thing you’ve ever seen?”

  Demon-Konstantin… ugh, too soon. Pizza with eyes sliding down the monorail? Hmm. “Maybe the Wharf Stalker, but that’s a… wait no. Getting covered by an army of Harbingers was probably the scariest moment.”

  “What’s a Harbinger?”

  Kirsten gazed into the distance. “Something you never, ever want to meet.”

  van looked back and forth from the smashed statue to Samantha Peña’s face. She stared at the fragments, her expression cycling between panic, anger, and worry. Shani kept her head down and twisted the toe of her ballet flat into the floor. Samantha put a hand over her mouth and shot a glance in the general direction of Abernathy. Any trace of cadet authority faded, leaving her a terrified eleven-year-old.

  “W-what was that?” Sam edged away from the broken artifact. “Did you see an old guy, all glowy and stuff?”

  Evan gestured at Abernathy, several steps away from the spot at which Cadet Peña squinted. “That’s Abernathy.”

  “Tell the kid it ain’t her fault. I was a bit anxious when I felt someone fiddling around with my brain. I probably appeared.”

  “He says it’s not your fault the thing broke. He didn’t mean to scare you.” Evan smiled at the ghost. “I wanted to surprise you by helping you.”

  “Help me?” Abernathy chuckled. “You can help me by putting that jar back where it belongs and leavin’ it be.”

  Evan’s mouth hung open. “Uhh, you don’t wanna like… be free? I was gonna take it to Father Villera so he can give you a real burial.”

  “Pah.” Abernathy waved. “I’m fine. I’m quite happy here. Maybe someday if they ever shut down the school and there’s no life left in the building.” A grandfatherly smile crinkled his eyes. “But for now, I’d much rather stay.”

  “Uhh. Wow. Okay.” Evan fidgeted.

  “What?” asked both girls at the same time.

  “Abernathy doesn’t wanna go away. He’s happy.”

  Shani glared. “You butthead. We’re gonna get in trouble an’ he doesn’t even want help.”

  “Sorry.” Evan stared down. “I thought he was trapped.”

  Abernathy ran a tingly, cold hand over Evan’s head. “It’s all right, boy. I’m not trapped or anything. Matter of fact, I don’t think any spirit is ‘trapped’ because a piece of their body is lying around in a jar or hasn’t been ‘buried right.’ To me, that’s my bed.” He hesitated a few seconds, wagging his eyebrows. “Well, I suppose if the spirit believes it matters, it might. But I ain’t seen nothin’ on this side lead me to believe I’m still here on account o’ not followin’ any mythological rituals over my remains.”

  Shani looked at Samantha. “We won’t tell anyone.”

  “She didn’t break it.” Evan frowned at the pieces. “Abernathy scared her ‘cause of my idea. I’ll take the pieces to someone and say it was me.”

  Samantha bit her lip, a conflicted look on her face. “We should all go. Shani won’t get in much trouble because she just followed us.”

  The seven-year-old fumed for two seconds before the tears started. “You said we wouldn’t get in any trouble!”

  Evan stooped, reaching for a fragment of the statue. Ice cold washed over his back. He cringed, head snapping up in Shani’s direction. The world flashed to sepia tones, time frozen at the instant a broadsword impaled in the top of her head, protruding from her belly. He screamed, and the horrible vision faded, leaving the scene once more in color and a startled Shani without a three-foot long sword sticking out of her. Such fear for his friend’s life gripped him, he almost threw up on her.

  At the sound of metal rattling, Evan jumped at her. “Shani!”

  He wrapped his arms around her, the weight of his body knocking her flat on her back. A loud clang preceded Samantha shrieking.

  Shani coughed, shoved, and punched at him. “Get offa me!”

  Evan twisted to look behind him. An ancient sword lay on the floor next to a large gouge where the point had dislodged a divot. Shani went from pushing to clinging, and squealed in fright. Abernathy turned in place, eyes high.

  “T-that thing just fell off the top shelf.” Samantha pointed at it.

  “Mommy!” yelled Shani.

  Evan started to cry as well. Hearing the word made him want his mother here right now, but Shani whimpering gave him a little courage. He’d act tough to make her feel safer. “Abernathy, what happened?”

  “Looks like a critter got loose.” He walked sideways two steps, staring at something out of sight and high up. “Best guess, a poltergeist. Bet it was somehow trapped in that statue.”

  Cadet Peña stared at Evan. “Holy shit. You’re a precog too! You like totally saw that com―” A box bounced off Samantha’s head, knocking her to all fours, cradling her skull
. “Ow.” She rubbed the spot, mussing her hair. “Thanks for the warning.”

  He offered a helpless shrug. “I… it’s not that strong. It only works when it’s someone I like… uhh, care about a lot or something.”

  Shani looked at him and sniffled. “I still think you’re a butthead.”

  Samantha crawled over to them and stood. “What’s going on?”

  “Poltergeist.” Evan struggled to stand, but Shani wouldn’t let go. “Ugh. Shan, get up.”

  She clung tighter. “I’m scared.”

  “What’s poltergeist mean?” Samantha pulled them both upright.

  Evan put an arm around Shani. “A ghost. Like a little kid throwing a tantrum with TK, only you can’t see them and they can fly.”

  “I gotta call this in.” Samantha pulled a NetMini from her belt and held it up. Before she could do much more than glance at it, a phantasmal cloud of light raced by and yanked it out of her hands. The little slab of technology sailed off over the warehouse shelves. A few seconds later, a loud click echoed among the shelves. She jumped with a shriek.

  “Run!” yelled Shani.

  She started to sprint away, but Evan grabbed on and held the struggling girl back, not entirely sure why until a waterfall of boxes spilled from above. Cartons ranging in size from a few inches square to tall enough for him to stand inside of caved in, blocking them off in the dead end.

  Shani recoiled from the towering pile, trembling. “T-that almost fell on me!”

  “Oh, this one’s angry.” Abernathy jumped through the shelf. Bangs, clatters, and grunting came from the other side.

  Evan caught a few glimpses of the old ghost jumping about as if in the midst of a brawl. His chest pounded with fear and dread; Mom’s gonna be angry. He gulped. If I’m alive to be punished. “I don’t wanna scare you, but I think this thing is trying to kill us.”

  Samantha eyed the sword. “Uhh, yeah I kinda figured that out. Why?”

  “Prob’ly ‘cause you broke his statue.” Shani pointed at the statue bits with her foot.

  A flash of pale amber/pink light raced out of the shelf, crossed the section of corridor, and vanished into the other side. For a fleeting second, Evan got a glimpse of a roughly humanoid shape: head, wispy claw-like hands, half a torso, all looking like a mass of tattered rags.

  Abernathy stumbled into view a moment later, looking winded. “Blighter’s fast. I can’t catch the little fu… uhh, bastard.”

  Evan looked up at him. “It tried to kill Shani. I think the first word you wanted to say works better.”

  “What are we gonna do?” asked Samantha. “They won’t give me a sidearm till I’m at least sixteen. Lasers hurt ghosts, right? That’s what they said.”

  “Mom’s got one.” Evan shrugged. “I guess.” He blinked. “I got an idea.”

  He scurried over to the broadsword and took a knee. A creak overhead made him look up at a huge plastisteel box tilting off the topmost shelf on the side above the table of junk. The apparition hovered behind it, pushing.

  “Look out!” yelled Samantha.

  Shani grunted and thrust her hands into the air.

  The massive box fell, despite the girl’s effort, but she shoved its path far enough to the left that it missed Evan by a good six feet. It burst open on impact, spilling holo-disks everywhere in a torrent of glimmering chromatic silver.

  “What are you doing?” Samantha ran over to Evan. “You’re gonna try to hit it with a sword bigger than you are?”

  “No.” Evan bit his lip. “Shani is.”

  “Maybe you can say sorry?” asked Samantha.

  “Doubtful. Poltergeists aren’t what you call full spirits. They’re dumber than dogs.” Abernathy tapped his head. “Raw energy without much of a brain to it. There’s nothing to talk to, just a scrap of consciousness.”

  A flash of peach-pink light caught his eye. Evan cringed as the wailing apparition zoomed around a corner and came flying straight at him, skimming inches off the floor. He held his hands up and screamed. His fervent want to have the thing stop seemed to do something; a squishy sensation tugged at the back of his mind, and he felt the charging spirit’s approach. Panic faded to determination and he shoved.

  The poltergeist wailed again, slowing to a creep. It hissed, rolled over, and slipped sideways into a stack of tiny boxes, knocking several over. Evan gasped for breath. Whoa. That was cool.

  “We can climb out.” Samantha pulled herself up to the second tier of the shelf on the left.

  “Don’t do it.” Evan reached for her. “It’ll make you fall.”

  Cadet Peña looked less sure of herself. After another glance at the dense arrangement of containers, books, scroll cases, and old junk, she hopped back to the ground.

  Evan put his hand on the cold blade. Gritting his teeth, he slipped his thumb down the edge enough to cut it bleeding. Mick’s beatings had hurt, but slicing open his finger was a new form of pain he hadn’t gotten used to. An involuntary gasp escaped him, but he smeared his blood down the length of the blade while concentrating on binding it to the astral realm.

  “Oh, hey now.” Abernathy walked over. “That’s an interesting trick. Where’d you get that from?”

  “My mom showed me how to do it.” Evan stuck his cut thumb in his mouth.

  “Incoming!” yelled Samantha.

  Shani grunted. Something else went flying and smashed in the distance.

  “I got it,” yelled Shani. “It’s not that strong. It’s pushing stuff over.”

  Bonk.

  “Ow!” Shani burst into tears.

  Evan looked up. The girl squatted with both hands on top of her head. An old-looking laser pistol that wasn’t there before lay on the floor by her foot. The spot where an e-mag would go looked square instead of rectangular and about twice the size; whatever type of battery pack it took had to be obsolete, and probably impossible to find anymore. He poured energy into the sword until he got the sense it couldn’t soak in any more. With Astral Seeing turned on, the blade appeared to have a subtle glow around it that reminded him of dropped loot from the Monwyn MMO.

  Abernathy leaned down and picked it up.

  “Whoa…” Samantha backed away. “That sword is flying on its own.”

  “Abernathy’s holding it.” Evan rubbed the sore spot on his thumb. The cut had already reduced to a sealed cat-scratch; watching it close caused a twinge of hunger to murmur in his belly.

  The old ghost swung the blade around in a cautious pattern, as if gauging its weight. “This thing’s pretty damn heavy.”

  “You’re too slow.” Evan looked up at the old ghost. A shoebox-sized plastisteel carton rocketed from a shelf and slammed into his face, knocking him flat and seeing stars. “Ow.”

  An empty broadsword sheath flew out from the shelf and cracked Samantha across the rear end with a pop that sounded like a small gunshot. She went up on tiptoe, gasping. Shani yanked herself into the air with a burst of telekinesis to avoid a flock of knives scattering to the floor where she’d been standing.

  “Ow,” mewled Samantha. She took a step forward, holding her rear end with tears leaking down her face.

  Evan rolled onto all fours, blood pouring from his nose. The scabbard that had whacked Samantha in the butt pivoted up, the poltergeist holding it like a bat. It swung for her head, but Abernathy let off a war cry and got the bound broadsword in the way, blocking the strike. He lunged at the apparition, which abandoned the scabbard to glide backward in a blur. The blade whooshed through the air. The keening wail of the poltergeist continued, trailing far away into the distance.

  “Ev!” Shani ran to his side. “You’re bleeding!”

  Samantha, still cringing in pain, pulled him up to sit back on his heels and shined a little light in his eyes.

  He raised an arm to block her. “Knock it off. I’m okay. Sam, are you hurt?”

  She rubbed her backside. “That hurt so much I saw white, but I don’t think it’s serious.”

  Shani gasped
and shoved her hands straight up. Another large box plummeted to a halt, hovering over the three of them. Sweat rolled down her face; her little legs wobbled.

  “Sam, you’re an empath right?” asked Evan.

  “Yeah.”

  “Make her angry.”

  Samantha stared at Shani. Two seconds later, the seven-year-old growled and the giant box went flying back over the shelf it had fallen from. She slouched to her knees, panting.

  “Nice!” said Evan.

  Shani punched him in the eyebrow, yelling, “Butthead!”

  “Ow.” Evan grabbed his head. “Okay, that’s too angry.”

  “Sorry,” whispered Shani, both hands clutched to her chin.

  “Not your fault.” Evan blinked it off. Already, his nosebleed had stopped, though a dull ache settled in the middle of his skull from the box cracking him in the head. Shan… use that sword. It can hurt the thing now.

  She looked at him as though he’d just suggested she give away all her dolls. “How? I can’t see it. Butthead.”

  “Oh.” He grumbled. “Wait.” He jumped up. “Sam… when you see me start concentrating, gimme a boost. I don’t think I’m strong enough to grab it on my own yet… need uhh…”

  “A high emotional state,” said Abernathy.

  “Yeah, that.” Evan dragged the blade over to Shani and set it on the floor before locking stares with her. I’m gonna try to hold it down by the statue bits. When it’s there, make the sword slice back and forth as hard as you can.

  “Yeah, what?” asked Sam.

  “I’m talking to the ghost.” Evan pointed at Shani, the sword, and made a chopping gesture at Abernathy.

  Shani nodded. Why are you telepathing?

  In case it’s smart enough to understand me. I don’t want it knowin’ what we’re gonna do.

  “Oh.” Shani levitated the broadsword, held it a second, and set it down. “That’s not so heavy.”

  Abernathy looked among the kids. “I’ll go chase it out of hiding.”

  He ran off.

  After telepathically explaining the plan to Samantha, Evan paced back and forth. His thumb looked unhurt, the dull ache in his nose had faded, only the dread of how much trouble they’d all get into remained. Of course, one had to stay alive to get in trouble. Given the option, he’d rather get punished.