by Elana Brooks
“Okay.” Rosalia took a gulp of the wine, which was much too fine to be treated that way, and squirmed around to face Carlos more directly. “Hit me with your best shot.”
He swirled his glass, watching as the alcohol clung to the sides in liquid strands. “The origins of my organization lie in the distant past. Approximately eight thousand years ago.”
Rosalia blinked and opened her mouth, but he waved her silent. “At that time, a race of supernatural beings first visited Earth. They sought to adapt our planet for their use. Humanity was in its infancy, yet a small group of people fought and destroyed them. They were helped by one of the beings, who rebelled against its own kind and taught the humans the use of psychic powers. The memory of these events was preserved by a psychic process and has been passed down through the ages. If you decide to join us, you’ll witness them for yourself.”
Rosalia held up a hand. “Wait a minute. Beings? What sort of beings?”
“At the time, they were believed to be angels. The Seraphim, they were named. More recently, it’s become clear they were actually extraterrestrials. Their home planet was destroyed, and they sought refuge on ours. Unfortunately, Earth could only provide them with a suitable habitat if the oceans were greatly expanded. Their attempts to do so resulted in the nearly universal legends of a cataclysmic flood.”
Rosalia shook her head. “You’re right. That is hard to believe. But even if it’s true, what does it have to do with your organization?”
Carlos inclined his head. “The aliens who were defeated were an advance scouting party for a much larger force, who would follow them to Earth, arriving in approximately eight thousand years.”
Despite her skepticism, Rosalia felt a chill. “Now.”
“Sometime very soon in the future, yes. Our best calculations estimate about seven years from now. The eight humans who fought the aliens formed an organization dedicated to preparing for their arrival. They sought out successors with psychic abilities and taught them how to use them. They called themselves the Covenant of the Rainbow. For millennia they endured, small and secret, building their skills and resources against the day of the Seraphim’s return.”
“So that’s the name of your organization? The Covenant of the Rainbow?” Pieces fell together in Rosalia’s mind. “Rainbow. Flood. You’re talking about Noah and the ark, aren’t you?” She thought of the devotional candles in Abuela’s shop. She’d always loved the design that featured a many-hued rainbow arcing over the hulking boat and pairs of animals.
“That’s one of the forms in which the legend survives. But we no longer call ourselves by that name.” Carlos grimaced. “As science advanced and began to suggest new explanations for the angels and demons in the Memories, a deep schism developed in the Covenant. Its origins can be traced back as far as the sixteen hundreds and the observations of Copernicus and Galileo. But it finally came to a head in the late eighteen hundreds. At that time, five of the eight leaders of the Covenant were firmly convinced that the Seraphim were alien beings, the product of natural selection on another planet, analogous in every way to the human species. The other three remained committed to the belief that, although they might have extraterrestrial origins, the Seraphim were in essence spiritual beings, messengers of a higher power, instruments of God’s righteous judgment on the sins of humanity.
“At last the disagreement became so heated the Covenant split. The five demanded that the three either convert to their doctrine or resign their positions of leadership. The three refused to compromise their beliefs and left to form their own organization. A portion of the members of the Covenant went with them, although greater numbers stayed behind. To distinguish themselves from the larger group, who continued to used the traditional name, the three called their group ‘The True Covenant.’ This is the organization to which I belong.”
“You mean there’s another group out there, too? Bigger than yours?” Rosalia felt dizzy. She’d always known there had to be other psychics, but she’d never dreamed they didn’t all live in hiding as she and the other gifted members of her family had always been forced to. The idea that not one, but two, large groups of people with psychic talents existed filled her with both elation and apprehension.
Carlos rolled his eyes. “They call us ‘The Shadow Covenant.’ Of course, they believe they’re the true successors of Noh and the rest of the original Eight. When the Seraphim return, they’re determined to fight them to the death, even if they must destroy the last remnants of an ancient civilization to do so. They’re convinced it’s impossible for humans and Seraphim to share our world in peace.”
His leaned forward, his voice growing more impassioned. “We believe the Seraphim aren’t our enemies. They’re our saviors. Over the past hundred years, it’s become more and more clear that the human race is destroying ourselves and our planet. Our population has exploded out of control. We fight each other in massive worldwide wars over rapidly dwindling resources. We create ever more deadly weapons. We pollute our air and water and land until they can no longer sustain us. We’ve altered our climate to the point that the changes are irreversible and progressive. If nothing is done, within the next hundred years we’ll destroy ourselves, and quite possibly all other life on Earth as well.”
Rosalia wanted to protest, but Carlos kept speaking over her attempt to break in. “The Seraphim can save us from our self-destructive nature. They possess technology capable of transforming a planet’s ecology. The True Covenant intends to reach out to the Seraphim when they arrive. We’ll offer to share our home with them if they save it for us. We’ll allow them to bring in enough water from comets and other extraterrestrial sources to desalinate the oceans as necessary to provide a suitable habitat for their species. In exchange, they’ll remove the excess carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses from our atmosphere and halt the runaway global warming that’s otherwise inevitable. Both humans and Seraphim will survive, sharing one world, enriching each other’s culture with our interaction.”
Carlos’s face glowed with idealistic passion. He reached for Rosalia’s hands and gripped them tight. “Join us, Rosalia. Help us save Earth from certain destruction. Use your gifts to help us work toward a world where all beings can live together in peace.”
His enthusiasm nearly swept her up, but reservations nagged at her heart. “It sounds wonderful. But I have a few questions.”
He released her hands and sat back, spreading his arms along the back of the sofa. “Ask whatever you wish.”
“You said that you plan to let the aliens add water to the oceans. That’s going to raise sea level. A lot, it sounds like. Huge amounts of land will be flooded.”
Carlos inclined his head. “That’s true.”
The images that sprang into her mind were too horrible to contemplate. “But aren’t many of the world’s biggest cities near the coast? Los Angeles is only about three hundred feet above sea level. New York is on an island, for God’s sake. San Francisco, San Diego, Portland, Seattle, New Orleans, Houston, Miami—and that’s just in the United States. Tokyo, London, Paris…”
Carlos sighed. “All those cities are doomed in any case. If the Seraphim don’t flood them, the melting polar ice caps will.”
“But that’s not certain. People are already doing a lot to stop global warming. There are treaties—“
He cut her off. “The situation is far worse than the public has been led to believe. Studies have been done which show incontrovertibly that the warming has already reached a level that can’t be reversed. They’ve been suppressed, of course. Mostly by government and business interests, but we’ve helped. It won’t aid our cause if people panic.”
His fatalism infuriated Rosalia. “I don’t believe you.”
“I can show you the proof, but only after you commit to us.”
“Of course.” Rosalia shook her head. “Millions of people are going to die.”
Carlos reached for her hands. Numbly, she let him take them. “To my great
sorrow, yes, they will. We’ll do everything we can to save as many as possible. But don’t you see, it’s far better for some to die in the floods than for the whole human species to be wiped out. Earth can’t sustain our current population. In the long run, humanity will be better off. The True Covenant is already working to ensure that the best and brightest of us will survive. That’s what I’m doing here. We’re establishing communities at elevations high enough to survive the flood. We’re recruiting the most intelligent, healthiest, most psychically gifted individuals we can find and relocating them to these communities. After the Seraphim come and their flood destroys the old, corrupt civilization, our communities will be the seeds of a new beginning for a reborn humanity, cleansed of the hatreds and divisions of the past.”
His voice quickened. “If you take your vows tonight, tomorrow I can show you what we’re building here. We have a school, Rosalia, where children learn to use their psychic gifts from the beginning, before they can be taught to hate and fear them. We’re building a university where the wisest minds will gather to research the truth of the universe, not the false and limited view imposed elsewhere. We have vast storehouses where we’re stockpiling supplies to last us through the years of chaos until we can build a new, stable society under the True Covenant’s leadership.”
Rosalia’s vague discomfort crystallized into specific horror. She stared at Carlos. “You’re insane. You’re not talking about helping humanity survive. You’re talking about committing genocide so you can take over the world. No wonder the other Covenant threw you out. I like their idea of fighting the aliens a lot better than your plan to roll over and surrender to them.”
His expression grew cold. “I’m sorry you feel that way.”
She plowed on, too outraged to stop. “I don’t believe any of that bullshit about global warming being irreversible. We don’t need aliens to solve our problems for us. Certainly not if their idea of a solution includes mass murder!”
Carlos rose, looming over her with such an air of menace Rosalia shrank back. “So you don’t wish to join the True Covenant?”
“I certainly don’t!” She jumped to her feet and faced him, drawing herself up to her full height and wishing for the millionth time she was taller. “In fact, if you know how to contact that other Covenant you were talking about, I’d appreciate the information. They sound more like my type of people.”
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” Carlos said icily. “Since you’ve declined membership in the True Covenant, I must hold you to your promise and block your memories of this conversation.”
Panic swirled in Rosalia’s gut. She took a step backward. “You can’t do that. If everything you told me is true, I can’t just forget about it! I’d be stuck going about my business, with no clue what was going to happen. Seven years, you said?” She suddenly spotted a flaw in his story. “If something as huge and dramatic as aliens coming to Earth and causing massive floods is really going to happen, why haven’t Abuela and I and everyone else with precognitive gifts been getting visions for years? It should be like right before the big earthquake. Abuela says she and every other psychic she knew were hit by horrible visions hours before it struck.”
“It may be that their arrival isn’t close enough to trigger warnings.”
“But they’re already on the way, right? On a course that won’t change? Abuela says—“
He cut her off with a sharp motion. “Your grandmother is correct. Precognitive visions usually occur when the odds of a certain event taking place are high enough to exceed the individual psychic’s threshold of sensitivity. The Seraphim’s coming is nearly statistically certain. Only some great disaster befalling their ship could stop it now. And yet we’re aware of no precognitive visions of their arrival. We suspect they’re employing some sort of psychic shielding to hide themselves from us. They have reason to believe that we’re hostile and they’ll face opposition when they get here—as they will, from the False Covenant. If they’re capable of such shielding, using it is a wise precaution on their part.”
Rosalia’s racing heart slowed, and her breath came more easily. “Now you’re just making things up. The reason we haven’t foreseen it is because none of this is real. There are no aliens. There probably aren’t really two rival groups of psychics, either. Just one guy with an overactive imagination and the desire for others to join him in his delusions.” She spread her hands. “Look, I understand how lonely it is, having powers no one understands. How exciting it is to find someone who shares your talents. There’s no need to spin these sorts of elaborate tales to draw me in. I’d be happy just to have a friend I could be honest with.”
He shook his head. “If believing that makes this easier for you, so be it. I’m merely a single pitiful man, driven mad by my abnormal abilities. When I block your memories, you’ll lose nothing of consequence, only the ravings of a lunatic.”
“That’s not what I meant.” Rosalia swallowed. What if Carlos really was insane? She wondered if she could make it out the door before he caught her. Maybe, if she took him by surprise and fended him off telekinetically.
Before she could act, an invisible force spun her around and propelled her toward the door. It swung open, and the force shoved her outside. Carlos followed, his voice strained. “If you don’t resist, this will be much easier for both of us.”
“What are you doing?” she demanded as the car door opened and his telekinesis forced her into the passenger seat. The seat belt shot out, wrapped itself around her, and clicked into place.
“Taking you back to your hotel.” He slid into the driver’s seat and started the car, guiding it out of the driveway and back the way they’d come. “Despite what you seem to believe, I bear you no ill will. I only wish to ensure that the True Covenant remains safe. The more seamless I can make the false memories I give you, the less chance you’ll realize something is wrong and try to break the block. I’m a stronger psychic than you, but it’s always possible that someday you’ll stumble upon the False Covenant, and they have people who could break any block I set. But not if they never know it’s there.”
“I won’t let you block my memories. I take back my consent.”
“I’m sorry, but you no longer have that choice. Your prior consent satisfies the ethical requirements we observe. Otherwise we could never risk revealing our secrets.”
She struggled against the invisible bonds that continued to hold her body motionless. “Please. Don’t do this.”
She should have played along with his story, said whatever he needed to hear before he took her to meet the other psychics he claimed to know. Then she could have found out for sure whether or not his fantastic story was true. If the proof he’d promised convinced her, she could have learned as much as she could about his Covenant, and then sought out the other one. If they really existed, they’d be eager for information on their rivals.
Maybe it wasn’t too late. She made her voice small and afraid. “I’m sorry. I was just overwhelmed by everything you told me. If you let me think things over for a while, maybe I’ll change my mind. A lot of what you said made sense.”
Carlos snorted. “I’m not stupid, Rosalia. Do you think you’re the first to use that ploy? The True Covenant is only interested in recruiting those who understand our position immediately and agree with us instinctively. No one else can be trusted.”
He pulled into a parking space along the street midway between the restaurant where they’d met and her hotel. “Seven years from now, when the Seraphim arrive and the True Covenant announces our existence to the world, you can have all the time you want to think. If you decide then that our way is better than what the arrogant, warmongering False Covenant preaches, you’ll be able to join us. Maybe then I’ll release the block and you’ll have to face the knowledge that you could have been working toward our noble goals for years.”
He exited the car, walked around to the passenger side, and opened the door. He put on his most charming smile and
offered his arm. His telekinesis forced her body to climb out and take it. If she resisted with all her might, her movements became a little jerky, but not enough to attract the attention of the passersby. She couldn’t even yell for help, because he was controlling her breath and vocal cords, too.
The less you resist, the less this will distress you.
I bet you tell that to all the girls you mind-rape.
He didn’t even sound offended, just weary. If that’s how it must be.
His mind invaded hers with sudden, overwhelming force. She fought, but it was as if he didn’t even notice. Suddenly she couldn’t remember when they’d first met. An instant later she couldn’t remember how she’d gotten to his house. Another instant, and she couldn’t remember how she’d gotten here, or who the strange man next to her was. Terror flooded her as she struggled to fill in the awful blankness of the last few hours.
Farewell, Rosalia. I wish this had gone differently. You would have been a wonderful ally. He released her arm and dropped a step behind her.
Rosalia stumbled. She shook her head to dispel an odd sense of dizziness.
The meal had been lovely, although a bit lonely with no one to talk to. The walk through the evening streets of Santiago, stopping occasionally to browse through an interesting-looking shop, had been pleasant. Now she was tired and sleepy, ready to get a good night’s rest in preparation for another busy day tomorrow.
In the future, though, she’d stick with her coworkers for supper. She didn’t really enjoy being alone in a strange city as much as she’d thought she would. She had a weird sense of foreboding she couldn’t quite shake. Not anything as specific as a vision. Just a feeling that the world was a dangerous place and she needed to be careful.
Abuela had taught her to pay attention to her feelings, no matter how vague. She’d heed this one. No more solo adventures.
Just in case.
Chapter 9
