The Mystic Saga Omnibus (Books 1 - 5)

by Scott McElhaney

  Cyan

  I raised both my arms above my head and rammed the wall before me for the last time, tearing through to the last of the expensive homes in the six-unit complex. I turned to Evie and took a hold of her hand. Again, she reluctantly followed me into the home.

  “How are we going to pay for all this damage?” she asked.

  “If you’re dead, you won’t have to worry about it,” I reminded her.

  “Don’t be so hard on her,” Rewan commented.

  “I’m getting tired of being a bad guy, Rewan,” I said.

  “Then try being the ‘good guy,” she said.

  I led her down the stairs and through the richly furnished brownstone. I was somewhat curious to learn what kind of millionaire lived in such a building.

  We made our way out the back door and started down the small set of concrete stairs before I stopped. I glanced over at the spinning blue and red lights that boldly announced the slew of activity at Evie’s brownstone. White smoke was still billowing from her windows.

  “M-m-m-z-z…. Br-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r…”

  I suddenly heard a loud metallic noise erupting in my head.

  “Who said that?” I asked.

  “Not me!” Drexil said, “But it sure was loud!”

  “I’m checking all our systems,” Rewan said, “It wasn’t me either. Maybe we damaged something when we stormed through the walls.”

  “Bz-z-z-z-z…. Wr-r-r-r-r-r-r…”

  “Just please find out what that is before my head explodes!” I screamed inside our shared head.

  “You’d better believe I’m searching as quick as I can! I’m not liking it much myself,” Rewan said, “I’m thinking it’s external though. It seems like we’re receiving some kind of interference, though I can’t be certain yet

  “I think we should go back inside,” I muttered, turning to Evie who was still perched in the doorway.

  “Inside? Did you see what they did to my house?” she asked, pointing down the row.

  “Precisely,” I replied, “And let’s not forget that we still have a Mystic on our tail. Trust me on this.”

  Her eyes locked on mine for a moment, then she spun around and reluctantly obliged.

  CtynMech

  Biologic I

  The robotic anomaly is able to both send and receive remote signals. Its communication array, small as it is, appears to be located between the upper shoulders, just below the back of the neck. We remain 1500 miles above the anomaly, as attempts are made at communication with the unit.

  CtynMech also reports that the geostationary satellite is connected to the robotic anomaly through a communication array atop a building near its current location. Just moments ago, the link was severed between the satellite and the anomaly, but CtynMech was not responsible.

  CtynMech Educational File #4,788,021:

  The following knowledge came from Biologic I and it’s recommended for all future CtynMech generations. A supreme technology of unknown origin has created a probe for close-up studying of the species of curious planets. It is a remote robotic unit controlled by a geostationary satellite such as a CtynMech. The robotic unit is covered in a camouflage that makes it resemble the species it is investigating. If CtynMech could create such a thing, more could be learned from the seven known planets with intelligent biological life as well as a simple satisfaction of CtynMech curiosity regarding the other twenty-three planets with only lower forms of biological life. (FILED AND SENT TO ALL CTYNMECH LIBRARIES)

  Braxton

  I fired one of my wrist cables into the upper portion of the telephone pole at the end of the building complex, then swung across the road to the roof of the pizza shop. I retracted the cable, then turned back to the building to see if my assumptions were correct. From my vantage point, I could make out the metal storm door swaying partially open at the back of the building across the way. They must have just fled only moments ago.

  I leaned over the side of the restaurant and examined the bustling pedestrians beneath me. I saw no pair that resembled the ones I was searching for and if anyone had hastily parted the crowd recently, there was no evidence. I glanced down the road in both directions and saw no evidence whatsoever of a disturbance of any kind.

  The commotion across the street grew louder as the police livened up and began searching the whole housing unit instead of just the one they gassed. They apparently found the hole in the wall leading to the next residence.

  “Evelyn,” I muttered, “Whoever you are, you really know how to stir up a city. And you know what it takes to really get me upset.”

  Just then, I heard a loud report of gunfire followed by a stinging vibration at the brick near my fingertips. It took me a moment to realize that a police officer across the street was now shooting at me. I ducked below the small lip of the roof just as another two shots rang out.

  “Are you kidding?” I growled, scooting backward until I was sure it was safe enough to crouch and run.

  I ran across the rooftops, then located an alley that offered plenty of space for a swinging escape. I realized in that moment that there was going to be too much awareness about the existence of three fugitives. The chances that me, Evelyn, or the intruder would be able to move around without someone noticing us was very slim. While it sounded like that would be a liability, it was going to be much more of an asset. I should have no problem finding my targets.

  Cyan

  “You sound exactly like Cyan,” she whispered to me.

  “Shh,” I hushed her, trying to listen for movement in the bedroom as I peered through the crack of the closet door.

  Evie and I were sitting in the bottom of a stranger’s bedroom closet, huddled behind various boxes on the floor. We’d already witnessed the first police officer to discover the hole I made in this bedroom wall leading from the other home. He ducked through and didn’t waste a single moment investigating the bedroom. After all, who would be stupid enough to hang out here?

  “I’m not going to hush until you give some respect,” she whispered, “Can Cyan tear through walls like you did? That’s not human.”

  “Ne-e-e-e-e-e…. Scr-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-r… R-r-r-r-r…”

  “Please, Rewan!” I pleaded.

  “I’m working on it! It’s definitely external, it’s artificial, and it’s intentional,” she said.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked.

  “It means that someone or something is aiming something directly at our communication array with the intent on sending us something,” she said.

  “Our satellite?” I asked.

  “No, that link has been shut down yet again. I can only assume it was the Mystic,” she said.

  “Great…” I muttered in my head.

  “Yes,” I whispered to Evie, “Now be quiet before someone finds us.”

  “Yes, what?” she asked, “What are you saying ‘yes’ to?”

  Although we only have a sliver of light coming into the closet from the bedroom, I was certain she could see the finger I was pointing out the door. The voices beyond our closet were enough for her to understand why I was pointing out there.

  “How did he do this? Is he really an alien like you said?” a SWAT officer asked, ducking through the hole.

  “They say he killed several people with electricity from his hands. He also has no records that exist further back than when he arrived in…” he paused, slipping through the hole in the wall, “You wanna take a guess? Come on, I’ll give you a hint… Roswell, New Mexico -1947.”

  “That was no hint, you idiot,” he replied, pushing the other guy roughly in the shoulder, “Are you making this crap up?”

  “Ask Detective Stambaugh,” he said, leading the way out of the bedroom and into the hallway, “He’s the one who told the Lieutenant and the Lieutenant told Sergeant Walters who in turn told me.”

  Their voices slowly faded as they made their way down the stairs. Evie slapped my forearm so hard, I was certain the men downstairs would have h
eard it.

  “P-r-r-r-r-r-r-e-e-e-e-e-e….. Z-u-u-u-u-u… Friendl-e-e-e-e-e-e-e…”

  “What?” Drexil shouted.

  “That was a definite word!” I said.

  “And it’s originating about 1500 miles directly above us,” Rewan said.

  “It’s friendly?” I asked.

  “We’ll find out soon enough,” Rewan said, “It’s a powerful signal and they don’t seem like they intend to stop, so I assume it’s urgent.”

  “Is it true?” Evie whispered, “And are you really Cyan with some kind of mask on your face?”

  It was becoming apparent to me that I wasn’t going to be granted a bit of reprieve. She wouldn’t let up even though it was in our best interest to be absolutely silent.

  “Do you believe Cyan loves you?” I asked.

  “What? Answer my question!” she growled a little too loudly.

  “I’m trying, but I have some explaining to do first,” I whispered, “Do you believe Cyan loves you in the truest sense of the word?”

  She paused a little too long. I started to worry for a moment.

  “Yes,” she uttered.

  “If you discovered suddenly that Cyan was a Russian, a German, or Japanese, would you still believe that he loves you and always has?” I asked.

  “What do you-”

  “Please, just really think about my question and answer as honestly as possible.”

  “Yes, I believe even if I found out he was a spy for some other country that his love was always sincere,” she said, “But I don’t think I could stay with him anymore if that were the case. I love my country.”

  “It’s an honorable trait and I don’t begrudge you that decision at all. But I must say, that would probably still hurt Cyan a lot if he had to forfeit a prize such as yourself,” I said.

  “So, is he a Commie spy?” she asked.

  I held up a finger, then peeked out into the bedroom again. There was a lot of noise coming from the other home. I heard some voices just before three armed SWAT units climbed quickly through the hole. They held their rifles at ready, aiming around the room as though a monster were lurking beyond the dresser or the bed. At one point, a rifle was aimed directly at my head, though I was certain the man had no idea I was in the closet. The three of them rushed out of the room and down the hall.

  Stambaugh slowly climbed through the hole and glanced casually around the room. I felt for a moment that his eyes met mine when his gaze paused on the closet door. He stared at the bed for a moment, then leaned down and lifted the bedspread, peering underneath the bed.

  “He’s searching the room!” Drexil hollered in my head, “No one else did this.”

  “What’s the plan if he checks the closet?” I asked.

  “We kill him! What do you think?” Drexil replied.

  “I’m not a ‘bad guy,’ Drex,” I said, “I don’t kill cops.”

  “But you pick their pockets and spend their money,” he replied.

  “I don’t kill the good guys,” I stated.

  “Then I think it’s time you start praying for the endless mercies of Elix to rain down on you, my friend,” he replied.

  “Uh, guys, I don’t think he’s looking for us,” Rewan stated.

  I peeked into the bedroom and watched as Stambaugh shuffled through the drawer of the nightstand, pocketing things I couldn’t quite make out. He then turned to the dresser and started sifting through the underwear and socks.

  “What’s he doing?” I asked.

  “He’s a crook,” Rewan stated, “He’s stealing pocket change from the nightstand!”

  “It’s not pocket change,” Drexil added and I immediately saw the same thing he did.

  “Yes, I knew it!” Stambaugh muttered, pulling two large stacks of money from the back of the dresser drawer, “The great Don Gino was burgled by Cyan Judge. That should get us a little help from the ‘family’.”

  Stambaugh stuffed the large wads into his jacket. Then he yanked the drawer completely out and dumped the contents onto the floor. He glanced around the room once more, then grinned before turning and heading down the stairs.

  “That detective is a thief!” Evelyn whispered.

  “And he’s stealing from the mafia. Why didn’t you tell me we were hiding out in some mafia boss’s closet?” I asked.

  “You never asked my opinion on anything, so don’t blame me. Besides, I don’t hold cocktail parties and invite everyone on the block,” she replied.

  “Cocktail parties?”

  “I don’t socialize, okay? I have no idea who lives in the neighborhood,” she said, “Now let’s finish the conversation from earlier. Is Cyan a Communist?”

  “No, he’s not a Communist and he’s not a spy,” I said, “Though, he is actually working in an undercover way, you might as well say.”

  “Stop with the code. Who are you and who exactly is my fiancé?” she asked.

  “Can you change me back to-”

  “Already done,” Rewan replied in my head.

  “But I didn’t even feel any changes,” I replied.

  “That’s because I didn’t ask for permission to change our face. I numbed the feeling receptors in the flesh of our face so my work wouldn’t be detected,” Rewan replied with a pause, “In case you didn’t agree.”

  “That’s not really a nice way to treat your friends,” I said.

  “I could have said the same thing about you a few times, now let’s just get to the hard part,” Rewan said.

  I gently nudged the closet door open, permitting the sliver of light to expand and finally expose my features completely to her.

  “I’m Cyan, Evie, and I’m trying to rescue you from a creature we refer to as a ‘Son of Violation’ or a ‘Mystic’,” I said, “This man is from another planet that your people will one day refer to as Hydrus in the Beta Hydri System. Some will also know it as Legacy, but it was my people who gave it a name first. We simply call it ‘home,’ because ultimately, it was our planet first.”

  She shook her head as she stared at me with tears forming in her eyes.

  “I came here to learn more about the people who were infecting my planet. I wanted to know if the people of Earth were a civilized society, or if they were altogether a savage race,” I said, looking down at my hands, “I made my decision fairly quick even though I had been given a significant portion of time to make my report.”

  She was still shaking her head. It hurt me to see what I believed to be fear in those beautiful eyes.

  “M-u-u-u-u-u… ri-i-i-i-ps in spa-a-acetime… I-i-i-i-i-i-i…”

  I ignored the screaming metallic words in my head. Apparently my fellow schizoids felt the same way.

  “Your father was a genuine man. He was beautiful and so much more than just ‘civilized.’ You know all this, but I didn’t when I arrived here. Then I met your mother who was a bit abrasive at first, but I learned quickly that it was just a defensive maneuver based on an intense love of her family. Now Rodney was definitely a savage, but I came to learn that he and his types were actually a minority,” I said with a chuckle, “Then there was you, Evie. What can I say? Words can’t be used to define Evelyn McHale. Believe me, I’ve tried. I love you, Evie. I always have and I always will – even if you tell me that you never want to see me again. You already stole my heart and I will continue loving you with or without you in my life.”

  She tucked her face into the knees she had drawn up. I wanted to hold her right then, but I didn’t know where I stood in her point of view anymore. I didn’t know if she hated me now and I completely understood if there was lack of forgiveness for my lies.

  “What is your planet like?” she muttered, still hiding her face.

  I smiled as I recalled a home I hadn’t seen for more than two years now. At least that’s how long it’s been according to my recollection. I hated to think how long it had truly been.

  “On the surface, you can’t really tell a difference. Our sky is a somewhat greener shade of blue
, but blue nonetheless. I’d say ‘cyan’ is the earth term for the color of my sky. Our oceans are blue like yours and our grasses are green. It’s a binary system, so we have two stars that give a wide variety of daytime light. While the people of Earth think this is a nice attribute, my people would prefer one less ‘sun’ in the sky.”

  “Really? Why?” she asked, lifting her head and looking at me.

  The tears didn’t seem to be flowing anymore, though her eyes were still wet.

  “My people are a subterranean species. Our flesh is very sensitive to all forms of radiation, including that of the stars. Even the reflected radiation from our moon is a bit damaging, but not so much that we can’t come to the surface at night to harvest our crops,” I said, “My real flesh is violet and bioluminescent. Some of the sea creatures on Earth emit a form of biological light as well, so I guess that’s not so odd.”

  She watched me, still hugging her drawn up knees. It looked to me like it was now curiosity that had invaded her features.

  “Do you look anything like us?” she asked, “Like, can you show me your true… form?”

  “I… I don’t think you’d find me attractive if that’s what you’re asking,” I said, “Though apparently your people find our females attractive, I’m sorry to say.”

  “Can we show her?” Drexil asked.

  “I can’t change our hair or skin color,” Rewan said, “But I can change our eye color to that of our people and I could obviously change our facial structure.”

  “I can show you what I look like, but the hair and the skin tone will be wrong,” I said, “Would that be okay?”

  She nodded, “I want to see.”

  I led the way out of the closet, taking her hand and helping her up. I listened at the hole in the wall for a moment to make sure no one was coming, then I turned to her. This time, I felt the changes in my face and the top of my head as Rewan did her stuff. My cheekbones lowered, while ridges rose from the peak of my head. I couldn’t tell if my eyes were solid black like the eyes of Steine, but I trusted that Rewan had changed them. If Evelyn was startled in any way, she showed no evidence of it.