Archangel Crusader

by Vijaya Schartz

  "Hot damn! I never heard that before.” Michael exclaimed in awe.

  "Some white galactic colonists grew in number and evolved separately to high levels of technology on a continent now under the ice of the Antarctic. The Greek mythology recounts the exploits of the crew of an intergalactic vessel marooned on a Mediterranean island. The red skin of the Aztecs, Incas, and American Indians bears witness to a race that landed on the ancient continent of Lemuria, now lying under the Pacific Ocean."

  "So, when did you come for the first time?"

  "We established our first headquarters in Assyria, where we gave life to Adam and Eve."

  “You created man?”

  “Not exactly. We adapted the species.”

  "Fascinating! So what's their real story?"

  "They were our first experiment. We brought a human specimen especially engineered for life on this planet. Since we only had a male, we cloned a female from one of his ribs, modifying the genetic pattern to accommodate the female organs. They were destined to mix with the other existing races, blending and widening the genetic pool of Earth's particular species. At first, except for the fact that they had no past, no racial memories and no knowledge, just an intelligence, things looked very good."

  "But something went wrong?" Curiosity got the most of Michael.

  "No, everything went too well. Let me explain."

  As Amrah closed his eyes, images formed in Michael's mind: a luxuriant oasis in the desert, cool and refreshing fountains, marble pools bubbling with soft water, dark green vegetation alive with birds' songs. Imposing stone pyramids stood under the deep blue sky of ancient Persia. The exotic flowers smelled intoxicating. Naked humanoids of luminescent blue came and went in the shade of tall cedar trees. Adam and Eve, fair of complexion, perfect in their human shape, played and laughed, enjoying a carefree life of idleness.

  In the background, Michael could hear Amrah's voice explaining further. "Unfortunately the female, Eve, became too smart. Too soon, she understood that the only difference between us and herself was the knowledge and the memories we had. So, she conspired with a staff member of a different species, a Reptilian."

  The alien who came into focus bore an amazing resemblance to Lufriec, the snake-creature from Michael's nightmare of the red planet. Michael shuddered as, in the present vision, the Reptilian enticed Eve into an intense conversation.

  Amrah's voice in the background explained. "The Reptilians had fallen from grace in the superior council when we discovered a rebellious movement to seize control of the Alliance. They tried to sabotage the experiment and almost succeeded."

  While new images appeared in Michael's mind, Amrah's voice paused, then resumed. "Much later, a natural cataclysm destroyed their home planet. It is now an incandescent piece of rock. They totally disappeared as a race long ago. We believed them extinct, for we never heard of them again. Until now..."

  Michael interrupted. "How did they manage a revolt in such a paradise?"

  "The reptilians spoke a seductive language. This one had fed Eve with dreams of power and high status. He also impregnated her with a son then convinced her that possessing our records would give her the knowledge she lacked. So Eve persuaded Adam to help her steal the forbidden information, poetically later called the fruit of the tree of knowledge. There were no apple trees in Persia...wrong climate."

  "How did you prevent them from succeeding?" Michael asked eagerly.

  "As soon as Adam and Eve breached the prohibited perimeter, their heart beat, particular to your race, was detected by our sensors and they were caught. What were we to do?"

  "So you kicked them out of Eden?" It all made sense to Michael, now.

  "We had no choice. They had become a danger to themselves. Eve was obsessed with the information in our data banks. They were not ready to handle such technology. Letting them fend for themselves in the wild, away from our protective custody, would keep their mind off our own work and provide them with an opportunity to learn at their own pace."

  Amrah paused again, looking at Michael intensely. "Time is an important factor when it comes to evolution. Despite the mixed blood of their son Cain, Adam and Eve started a new race and multiplied for many generations."

  "When you say you colonized Earth, you mean as a race, right?" An awesome concept had just crept into Michael's mind.

  "Yes, I mean us, the Blue Angels, including each member of my present crew."

  "But... How long ago was this?"

  "About twenty five thousand years."

  "What? You're kidding me! How old are you?" Michael felt his jaw open.

  "Too old to count and too young to care. Among us, age is quite irrelevant." Amrah looked as cool as ever.

  "By golly... I can see that. I wish... Do you ever die? Don't you get sick? Don't you get tired of living?" The thought boggled the mind. Michael felt suddenly warm.

  "Our bodies are sustained by light, channelled through our minds," Amrah continued in his melodic voice. "They do not degenerate as long as our will to live remains strong. When a body gets destroyed by accident, the mind seeks a new body to give life to. We keep a few spares for that purpose."

  Michael whistled softly at the staggering thought. Such possibilities... "And these bodies, do they come from... Well... You know what I mean..."

  Amrah laughed lightly. "Not at all. Our embryos are grown in suspended animation until a spirit is ready to enter them. When that happens, the new body can function within a few days. Only the best specimens of our race are selected for reproduction. As you can see, we do experiment with mixing species. Personally, I am half human (or its galactic equivalent). Our breeding techniques were perfected over millennia of genetic engineering."

  "I should have known... So, how come we don't live as long as you do?"

  "Your spirit does. Your bodies tend to degenerate faster, so you have to get a new one more often, and when that happens, you tend to forget your previous experiences. In time, your mind will grow stronger and you will remember. Most likely, you will lengthen the lifespan of your body... If your species survives long enough, that is."

  "Yeah... Right. Reincarnation... I heard that before. So time is nothing to you, is it? We live and die in the blink of an eye."

  "But time is not as important as timing," Amrah explained. "Your mission, for example, comes at a very specific point in time, just as for the others before you. You could learn much from their work."

  "What others before me?” Michael asked candidly.

  "Christ, or Krishna in India, Gautama Buddha, Muhammad, you resemble them in more ways than you think. You started your education a little later in life, but in essence and spirit you are the same."

  Michael let go of his breath in a long whistle. He never was modest, but some comparisons did scare him a little.

  So, he came to learn about his predecessors, some of them still well known and revered among powerful religious groups, others totally forgotten once their mission accomplished. All had only one goal, heighten the awareness of the people of their time. Now it was Michael's turn to do the same, in a different time, with the same people. He still didn't have the faintest idea of how to go about it.

  Soon, Michael came to understand the value of self-discipline and self-control. His respect for the gentle alien who claimed to be his father grew in direct proportion to his own knowledge.

  "You always seem to know the right thing to say at the right time," Michael commented to Amrah.

  "I do not. Before I talk, I listen to my heart. Love is a force to be reckoned with. It can make you anything you want if you use it wisely. Misguided love, however, can wreck entire worlds, my son, and it has on occasion." Amrah seemed to reflect on a faraway memory.

  "My emotions are so strong they blind me sometimes. How do I know what's right and wrong? How do I persuade myself to do the right thing?" Michael looked to Amrah for answers.

  "You can regulate the chemical imbalance in your brain through meditation. Drugs are obs
olete in our culture. At your present stage of evolution, the mood disorder you call bipolar personality can be compensated by one hour of deep meditation each day. Your diet will change as your self-programming kicks in. It is the safest route for you."

  Toward the end of Michael's training session, Amrah offered, "Would you be interested in visiting our embryonic tanks?"

  "Hell, yes!" Michael had been hoping for such an opportunity.

  "I was waiting for you to be ready for the shock." Amrah’s thin lips stretched in a smile.

  "Well, that didn't stop you before. You always seem full of surprises." Michael stood up to follow his alien father down the humming corridors of the spaceship.

  "This is a very complex process," Amrah explained as they walked along the soft light guiding their steps. "We aim to give our bodies regenerative capabilities in order to achieve the degree of longevity we are accustomed to. Memory is very important as well. Nothing in our reproductive process is left to chance, as it happens most of the time on your planet."

  "You mean not like me? You and my mother, I often wondered... It must have been rather primitive... I mean for such an evolved being as you."

  "No. Not primitive at all, very loving actually. We both enjoyed it very much. We did not beget perfection, though."

  Michael lifted an eyebrow, repressing a comment. "So what's the big shock?" he asked instead.

  "Here, see for yourself."

  A panel slid open in total silence.

  Michael stepped back, astounded. Behind the glass, in a blue light, floating in suspended animation, immodestly naked and staring back, stood a full-size replica of himself. He looked at Amrah for an explanation. When the alien offered none, Michael’s initial surprise turned to righteous wrath. "What the hell do you think you are doing in here?" As much as Michael knew about his father's civilization, he was not prepared for this.

  Amrah willed another panel to open and Michael blanched when he saw, beautiful as ever, in the same naked inanimate state, the graceful body of Veronica. He ached for her so much that he could contain his fury no longer. "Is it fun to play God? Who gave you the right? Who are these people? What are they? Don't you have any respect for anything at all? I am shocked. This is so..." he felt at a loss for words.

  "This, my son, is our specialty," Amrah answered undisturbed. "This is what we do best, engineer, reproduce, create intelligent prototypes. Do you like them? I think they go well together. They may be the future Adam and Eve of the next world we decide to populate. Of course, we will need a soul to inhabit them, a spirit to match these bodies."

  Amrah smiled and went on. "Although they look like ordinary humans, internally they represent our latest technology. They can stand repeated interstellar travel and regenerate themselves indefinitely without aging, just as we do. Their capacity for wisdom and memory is almost unlimited. As soon as they start breathing, their natural psychic faculties will awaken, and they will probably never have an evil thought as long as they live. I am particularly pleased with them."

  While talking, Amrah walked toward more side panels that opened by themselves as he went. In tanks of assorted colors, various human, less human, and totally alien shapes floated, in different stages of growth. A soft harmonic sound seemed to nurture all these staring bodies of various species. Michael could not think of anything to say. By now he had a hard time figuring out for himself whether to be mad or flattered by the selection.

  To avoid getting mad, Michael chose a technical approach. "So you are never really babies, you just take a body already grown and partially conditioned?"

  "Yes, it is a good approximation."

  "Doesn't sound like much fun, never being a kid... Don't you miss it? Don't you miss having a mother?"

  "No, I do not suppose we do. Are your childhood memories so precious to you?"

  "No, I couldn't say that. My childhood was mostly a nightmare, but I hope Jennifer's childhood is happy."

  Amrah smiled again, nodding as if he understood.

  Despite their cultural disagreements, Michael had learned much from Amrah and secretly admired his wisdom. Once again, he would have to trust the gentle alien and let go of his anger. Suddenly, Michael knew it was time to move on.

  Amrah must have felt it, too. “Son, it is time for you to return home and start on your mission. I taught you as much as I could. You are ready now to learn from your own experience." He sounded sad.

  Michael felt a pang of melancholy. He would miss the long conversations, the compassion in the Blue Angel’s eyes. "Can I visit once in a while?" he asked, almost shyly.

  "We will see each other again, my son." Amrah's gaze burned with intensity. "In the meantime, I will lend you strength."

  "Thank you, Father..." the word still felt odd in Michael's mouth. “How long have I been away?”

  “Time is an illusion. When you return, only a few hours will have passed. Jennifer’s plane hasn’t landed in Paris, yet." The ageless head tilted with compassion. The long-fingered hand came to rest on Michael's shoulder, and the gesture more than the actual contact sent shining rays of warmth throughout his body and mind. "So long, my son." Regret shaded the musical voice. "I will be with you wherever you go."

  Chapter Eight

  When Michael returned to his living room, he was thirsty. All these exercises in teleportation, telekinesis, mental healing and mind reading had left him parched. It seemed like a week since he had touched a drink. In truth, his extensive training had only taken a few hours. Michael immediately went to the refrigerator for a Coors and popped the tab. Checking himself in mid movement, he emptied the can in the sink. He hated the debasing habit, mainly since he had a new purpose in life.

  After throwing a few clothes, an Uzi, and his favorite hatchet in the saddlebags of his motorcycle, Michael slipped a knife in his boot then called Shadow. The big cat came to him in the garage. Michael picked it up and tucked the feline inside his leather jacket, straddled the motorcycle and took off. His first stop was at Bill’s place. His good friend and long-time work partner had agreed to take care of things during Michael’s absence, including baby-sitting Jennifer’s cat. He apparently even enjoyed this addition to his household.

  After goodbyes to Bill, Michael mounted the Harley and turned on the ignition. He felt lighthearted and almost happy after relinquishing his daily responsibilities. "Krastinios, here I come!"

  The superb machine slowly wove its way in and out of traffic as Michael freed his mind to fully enjoy the moment. With Jennifer safe on her way to France, he could relax and concentrate on his mission. Although he felt guilty about it, for the first time in ten years Michael savored his freedom. The little girl had filled his life. Raising her had been fun most of the time, even when it meant changing diapers and feeding the baby on a construction site while his crew wondered about his sanity. Although Michael already missed her, Jennifer's absence would make his task easier.

  If Amrah had guessed right, Krastinios would soon show himself. This time, however, Michael would be ready for the confrontation. His powers, exceptional from the start, were developing fast. To speed up the process, he must renounce his favorite red meat. His temper might still flare once in a while, but with time his willpower would increase. Daily meditation could also help improve his concentration.

  On this beautiful spring day, cruising with a warm breeze bathing his face, relishing the smell of freshly cut grass in the park, Michael basked in freedom. He could not help thinking about how good he must look perched on that beautiful piece of black, shiny steel, long hair flying in the wind, the sun reflecting on his sunglasses.

  Veronica would have teased him and Michael would have liked the compliment. Veronica... So much had happened in a few days. She seemed far away now, almost like a dream. Michael cherished her memory. Would he finally become the man she wanted him to be? If she could see him now... Then he realized she probably could and the thought made him smile.

  Briefly going over the maps earlier, Michael h
ad memorized the road to the capital city. He could sit back and enjoy the ride. He knew where to find the help he needed. On his way south to Dave's house in Little Rock, he would stop in Washington, D.C. to visit Debbie, Dave's sister-in-law. Michael had not seen Debbie since last Christmas when they had gathered at her house for the holidays. Dave and his wife had also attended the family gathering, still childless at the time, looking forward to adoption. Finally, two months ago, they’d succeeded in adopting an orphan girl a little younger than Jennifer. Now they had everything they wanted.

  Jennifer and Veronica had enjoyed the holiday...

  Funny, everyone expected Debbie to die soon, not Veronica. Michael wondered whether Debbie was still on chemotherapy. Divorced with two sons in college living with their father, she knew how to fight. Debbie loved life with a passion. She battled poverty, injustice, the disease that plagued her, although she knew her life would end soon. Each day constituted a victory over the disease that steadily ate her insides. The cancer slowly spread despite all known therapies. Ahead of her lay only pain followed by death.

  Michael remembered a picture on the front page of the Philadelphia Inquirer earlier this year. Debbie had led a demonstration in front of the White House. The black and white photograph accentuated the black rings under Debbie's eyes, the tired look, but also the fire still burning inside... A remarkable soul... Knowing she could not escape fate, Debbie was trying to help those who could still be saved, the needy children of her world.

  When Michael had called her before leaving the house, Debbie had sounded happier than usual, delighted at the prospect of seeing him soon. Somehow he hoped she would listen to his story. As a lobbyist, Debbie had many connections in Washington and could help Michael implement his plan.

  There was so much to do. Where to start? Veronica always said, "Just start, then it will come to you, you'll know what to do next." Michael would do just that: start with Debbie and go from there.

  As he reached the outskirts of the city, Michael felt good about himself and in no hurry. Wouldn't it be the perfect time to show off someplace? As he recognized Tiffany's from a distance, Michael remembered the girls he used to talk to and decided to pay them a visit.