Since the strange being had emphasized mind communication, Michael would try that first. Relaxing on the couch, he noticed the peace and quiet of the living room, the purring of Shadow dozing on the white Afghan. As soon as he visualized the stranger, Michael felt a response: a slight tremor of the mind and a vaguely familiar voice, warm and comforting.
"Do you have any questions, Michael? Would you like to come to us?" uttered the melodious contralto in his brain.
As he remembered with apprehension the painful incident in the parking lot, Michael strengthened his resolve. "I guess I’ve got to."
The fingers tingled first, followed by toes, arms and legs. The pleasurable sensation slowly spread to his body, all the way to the heart. Warm and secure, Michael wished he had known these feelings as a little boy, when love was frigid and hard as a fist. Such a shame he didn't have a father to love and protect him then.
Soon, the familiar surroundings faded and disappeared as Michael levitated. Eyes half-closed, he floated in a bright cloud. When the sensation stopped, a soothing light surrounded him, cool and energizing.
Adjusting to the blue glow, Michael’s gaze caught a slight movement. The radiant being stood there, small, obviously naked, obviously male. Smooth skin the shade of the deepest sky stretched on a thin body. In an elongated head with no hair or ears, huge almond-shaped eyes shone dark blue over high cheekbones. An indefinable smile brushed the thin lips under a very small nose, while a turquoise aura bathed everything around him.
"Welcome, Michael," said the Blue Angel in a melodic tone, "My name is Amrah. I will answer your questions and help you if you wish."
Still tingling, nerve endings alive with energy, Michael, despite his curiosity, could not help but relax into the seat. No fear spoiled the moment and he felt good. In his amazement, he forgot the questions he had meant to ask. "Am I dreaming?" he mused aloud.
"No," answered Amrah. "You are fully awake, here among us."
"What’s this place?" Michael noticed the strangeness of it and the bizarre aspect of its inhabitants. It smelled of fresh flowers but there weren’t any, only smooth curved surfaces lit in pastel colors.
"Our traveling home away from home," came the nostalgic reply.
A vivid picture formed in Michael's mind: a small orb of opaque material suspended in black space, behind the moon. In the background, a blue planet, quite familiar in every respect.
"A spaceship? Are you serious?" Michael reclined in the seat.
"Quite serious."
"Excuse me for doubting, but with all the satellites and telescopes we have up there, how come no one noticed?"
"Maybe someone did and neglected to report. Maybe your technology cannot detect us, but most likely the moon provides adequate shadowing."
"But... Who are you people? Or are you people at all?"
"Beings... Other beings, somewhat like you, somewhat different."
"Different all right, I'd say!"
Michael thought he saw the shadow of an amused smile on the friendly face. Other beings walked around, all five feet tall, bluish, hairless and naked, male and female, some more alien than others and some, like Amrah, quite human in proportions. They went about in quiet harmony, performing tasks Michael did not understand. He then realized that he sat comfortably in nothing... No chair. When he felt for a seat under him, he only touched his jeans.
"What kind of technology is this? No control panels, no computers?" His voice trailed when he realized he had spoken aloud.
"We use the energy of the mind." The being still stood in front of him, his colorful skin vibrant in the light.
"Who are you? Or should I say, what are you?" Mesmerized, Michael couldn’t help but stare at the naked aliens who seemed undisturbed by his presence.
"We call ourselves Blue Angels, but we’ve been called deities, demigods, heroes, aliens, even gods, depending on where and when."
Did he imply aliens were the old gods? As preposterous as it sounded, Michael felt in no position to contest.
"Actually, we carry the same genes. Don't you think my features resemble yours a little?" That fleeting smile again.
Michael wiped a sweaty palm on his jeans. "What do you want from me?"
"Our Seers predict the near extinction of mankind at the hand of an alien invader. Although they did not specify which race would storm your planet, they hinted at an ancient evil. Man needs to evolve fast. We came to help humanity prepare."
"But what does this have to do with me?” Michael asked in earnest. “I don't even understand most of that stuff."
Amrah looked amused. "I guess I owe you an explanation."
"I would appreciate that very much, yes sir." Who the hell does this freak think he is? The thought escaped Michael unbidden.
"Freak? What an ironic thought." Amrah chuckled and waved away the comment. "Did you ever wonder why you always felt different from your brothers, different from your friends, estranged from society? People either love you or hate you on sight."
Michael tried to refrain from thinking since the alien obviously read his thoughts. He wondered how the Blue Angel could do that. Sometimes Michael had mind contacts with Jennifer, but it had never happened with a stranger before. "Yeah... I don't know why, but I always felt that way. I'm a rebel, they tell me. I never conform to the rules... Only trust my instinct."
"Then think back, Michael. Think of when you were just a baby, warm, safe, happy. Do you remember that time?"
"Not really. Just a feeling of well being. It did not last long, though."
"Wasn't your mother sweet and loving? Then something happened, and everything changed..."
"That's for sure... So what?" Michael didn’t like to talk about his wretched childhood.
"When your mother was but a virgin, alone, yearning for love and understanding, she had a dream."
"That two-faced, cheating Indian bitch?" Michael stood up, disturbed by the thought, then felt he should be sitting but did not know where since there was no chair.
"Anywhere you choose to sit, lie, or climb, support will materialize." Amrah’s eyes blinked slowly. "Remember, we use the power of the mind."
Hesitantly, Michael felt around with one hand: Nothing. He tentatively sat and found comfortable support meeting his very shape. To cover his confusion, he urged the alien, "You were saying?"
"Your mother invoked the Great Spirit of her ancestors and came to me in a trance. I welcomed and comforted her. When she asked for a special son, someone different and valuable, someone to give her life meaning and worth, I gladly obliged. That night, you were conceived."
"Are you saying you slept with my mother?” Michael couldn’t stand the picture forming in his mind. “This is outrageous! You can’t possibly be my father!" He refrained from standing up again.
The alien smiled at Michael's plight. "You are free to doubt or free to believe."
"How do you expect me to believe that?" The challenge in Michael's voice seemed to desecrate the peaceful place.
"I know this is very sudden, Michael, but you will understand, in time."
"Just what I need!" Michael felt ready to explode. "So now I'm a frigging alien?"
"You are physically human, Michael, but you also are a child of mine." Somehow, the alien voice had a soothing effect.
"Great! And all that because my mother couldn't keep from fooling around, even in her sleep..."
"She was pure then, Michael, ignorant about men. Can't you understand?"
"No. What do you mean, she didn’t know she was having sex?”
"Not in her waking state, but I brought her peace and happiness, at least for a while. As long as I stayed close, I sustained Maria's precarious balance through her dreams. When I had to leave, for reasons beyond my control, she resented me, then you. Then she married." The alien eyes clouded in shades of gray, and the voice softened even more. “I have not contacted her since.”
"Yeah, she resented me all right." Painful remembrance assailed Michael. "She rese
nted everybody... She made our life a living nightmare, with the help of that sick bastard." The memory still cut at him like a hatchet.
"I watched you from afar but could not intervene. Those trying times forged your character."
"What character? I'll tell you what that bitch and her husband made me: a warped soul who'd rather hate than love, who'd sooner hit than talk. I can't trust anybody, not even myself. I couldn't keep my word if my life depended on it. That's what I have to thank them for."
"Yes... Nevertheless, I expected you would come."
Was that a pulse Michael detected under the supple skin of the chest? "Do you even hear what I'm saying?" But how could Amrah possibly understand?
"I heard you perfectly. But now is the time for you to learn of your destiny and fulfill it." The even tone could be aggravating, too.
"Wait a minute. I agreed to nothing. I'm not the hero type."
"You will be, my son, in time... You were born for this. You cannot ignore your very nature. Deep down inside you always knew it. Veronica sensed it, too."
"Veronica? My God, of course, you know about her, too. Do you know the bastard who killed her?"
"Killed her?" Amrah looked surprised. “Did she not die in a car accident?"
"But who drove the black car? That raven? What's his name... Krastinios?"
"What?" Obvious concern creased the alien face. "What name did you say?" Amrah seemed lost in a complex net of unpleasant thoughts. "Krastinios? Are you sure?" The hairless eyebrows knitted, as in worry.
"That's the name he imprinted on my mind. That's the name I heard in my dream. Why? You know him?"
"No." The blue gaze looked far away. “Just old stories about an extinct race."
"If the son of a bitch killed Veronica, and somehow I know he did, I'll smash his arrogant smile... I'll kill him, I swear." Michael wiped the sweat from his forehead.
"I'm afraid it will not be that easy. By the way, those are harsh words for an avatar." Humor danced in the wide, dark eyes.
"What's that?"
"An avatar? A great soul reincarnated to guide the world through critical times."
"Me, a great soul?" Michael burst out in laughter, but Amrah didn’t seem to share his mirth. “Come now, who'll believe that?"
"Everyone in my part of the Galaxy does, Son!"
"Like hell!" Michael wasn’t about to be seduced by flattery. “What do you know about Krastinios?"
The Blue Angel looked uncomfortable. "Only a long forgotten legend, and a dark prediction no one believes anymore... How did you learn about him?"
"A vivid nightmare...it's rather complicated."
"Then allow me, Son." The alien brought his delicate fingers to both of Michael's temples.
“What are you doing?”
“Reading the dream from your mind. May I?" Amrah stared past Michael, eyes deep and shiny, his face a mask of serenity.
Far from resisting, Michael enjoyed the warm touch of the long-fingered hands. The subtle contact, although foreign, caused no discomfort. The tender presence in his mind assured him that all would be right. A little shy at first, Michael finally surrendered to the pleasurable experience.
After a few seconds, the soothing voice resumed. "Do you feel all right, Son? That was not too bad, was it?" Amrah withdrew his probing mind from Michael's thoughts.
"How did you do that? Can you teach me? It felt great! Did you recognize that bastard?"
"Yes indeed, and I learned everything else about you, even a few suppressed memories."
"Damn you!" Prompted by the violation, Michael stood up, threatening. "I never gave you the right to all my memories, you goddamn freak! So, now you think you know me... But you don't!"
Michael felt cheated, buried in humiliation. This alien knew too much about him, now. All the slip-ups, mistakes, degrading bouts of alcoholism... Even the shameful abuse Michael had been subjected to as a child. Head down, he paced the perimeter of the ovoid chamber.
"Deep inside you wanted me to, Michael. You carry too much pain and hatred, but this is the fate of your race." Amrah's tone neither condemned nor judged.
Nothing Michael could do after the fact. Actually, he was glad someone knew, even a Blue Angel, whatever that was. He didn’t have to carry the burden alone anymore. Controlling his conflicting emotions, he changed the subject. “What can you tell me about Krastinios?”
"He did kill Veronica and now wants Jennifer. Just as I feared, he will do anything to hurt and weaken you. Ultimately, he seeks to destroy you, and his powers are far greater than yours at this point."
Michael pivoted to face Amrah squarely. "What powers? What exactly can he do? I need to know how dangerous he is, if I am to protect Jennifer."
The alien eyes looked straight through him. "I do not want to scare you, but to become his match, you would need the full might of a trained avatar."
"Trained?" Michael didn’t like the sound of that. “What kind of training?"
"Once your powers awaken, you need to learn how to use and control them. You also need the wisdom to apply them with discrimination."
Michael sat down again. This time he did not even look down, not caring whether he sat or fell. He slumped and sighed heavily. "If I want to avenge Veronica's death and get that bastard, I guess I don't have much of a choice, do I?"
"No," Amrah answered matter-of-fact. "You never had one. Your motives may change, but you cannot escape fate."
Michael snorted. He’d never believed in fate, but if the Blue Angel could help him beat Krastinios, there was nothing to lose. "Let's say I accept this job, hypothetically of course... What comes next?"
"I will start your education immediately."
"Hold your horses! How long does this take?"
"It depends mostly on your willingness and flexibility, but time is irrelevant. It can be warped.”
“Really?" Michael paused, intrigued by the concept. "What about Jennifer?"
The big eyes veiled briefly. "She does not need to know yet.”
For some reason, Michael didn’t like hiding the danger from Jennifer. "You're very sure of yourself, aren't you? You can do things that I don't understand, but why should I trust you?"
"I would not harm my son or my granddaughter, Michael. You are both very dear to me."
Michael melted inside at the thought of family. The grief at the loss of his newborn son long ago and the joy at being a father again with Jennifer made him ache to believe. Could this alien father feel as much love for him as he felt for Jen? Sudden doubt made him hesitate. "What if I change my mind halfway through?"
"That is your privilege, of course. You are free to recant at any time, but I do not believe you will."
Now was the time to think straight. Michael wanted to crush Krastinios so bad he could taste it. There was no denying the compulsion. If it took becoming an avatar, taught and trained by this alien, that's what he would have to do. Besides, the wise blue goat might be good company for a while.
Painstakingly, Michael formulated the words, first in his mind, then aloud. "Well, I'm willing to give it a try." That was it. He’d said it. "Fair enough?" He immediately rose to depart.
"Your decision makes me glad, Michael. You will enjoy being an avatar, I promise you."
"We'll see about that. How do I get back home?" Michael detected a chuckle from his alleged father.
"Lesson number one: How to get back home, which is the same as how to get here, or anywhere for that matter." The voice took on a particular rhythm, a ring that made it unforgettable.
"Visualize the place where you want to be. Draw a perfect image of the place in your mind with all the minute details. Picture your body in the scene in a specific location and position. Relax... Then will your spirit into the picture of your body."
"Just like that? Sounds simple enough. You think I can do it?"
"I know you can."
Michael envisioned in every detail the familiar living room with its blue drapes and blue velvet couch, the
coffee table, the cat, the end table with the glass of Jack Daniels, and pictured himself lying on the couch. Then, just as Amrah had suggested, Michael easily slid into his visualized body.
After a second or two of feeling confused, he shook his head and looked around. This was really his place with everything as he’d left it. Shadow the cat awoke when Michael moved. The Timex had stopped ticking. Michael set the useless watch on the coffee table and ambled to the kitchen. His stomach felt empty.
According to the clock on the stove, four hours had passed... Then again, Michael could have slept and dreamed. But no... He wanted to believe it was all true, for nothing made sense otherwise.
*****
"So, you really want to see your mother?" Michael asked Jennifer two days later, picking up on her thoughts.
The excitement in the girl's eyes made Michael feel like a hero. She grinned. "Yes... I guess... If that's all right with you."
"Well, Tori lives in Paris, and I think it's okay for you to see her. She married a rich Frenchman and doesn't do drugs anymore." In truth, Dave had made the arrangements. Michael had refused to talk to Tori, still angry at her walking out on him and Jennifer ten years ago.
"Paris, France? That's far away, Dad!"
"Not as far as that, just on the other side of the ocean. Would you like to go there for a few months?"
Jennifer stared at Michael in shock. "That’s a long time. Are you coming with me?" she asked, hesitantly.
"As much as I'd love to, I can't. I have work to do here. But don't let that stop you, kid. It's your call."
"I don't know, Dad... Will you be okay by yourself?"
"Don't worry about me, kid. I'll be all right. Besides, I won't be by myself, I'll be helping Dave build his house."
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that... Still... Are you sure?" Timid hope shone in Jennifer's green eyes as the beginning of a smile dimpled the corners of her mouth.
"Yes, I'm sure. Is that a deal?" Michael forced some enthusiasm into his voice.
"Oh, Dad! I'm going to see my mother?" Jennifer's voice reflected the eagerness in her face. She grinned, blushing with barely contained excitement. When she jumped onto his lap and held him in a bear hug, Michael thought nothing in the world was more precious than the love of his beautiful little girl.
Archangel Crusader Page 4
