The Immortal Trinity: Inheritance

by Momchil Yoskov

  - Are you mental? - said Mintelk.

  - His Magnificence's orders. Moving on: the coordinates to the future outpost are in the system of the ship. I don't need to tell you what to do, once you come across the Immortals or New Hope. The equipment is standard and there's nothing new about it. Don't think of going against His Majesty, because he will punish you severely: I've been through it and it's not enjoyable.

  - You don't need to share something that we are already aware of! Now step aside. - said Helaka. She was fed up with being around the Overlord's Hordes over the past couple of weeks and couldn't wait to set foot on Earth and find a way out of the whole mess for her and her sisters. She ordered Mintelk to check the portable force fields and make sure they are in perfect working condition. Kunala was busy checking the armoury and loading up the ship with ammunition. The three were on their own, once they flew out of the hangar... though the Overlord constantly had his eyes on them.

  Retion swiftly returned to the control room.

  - They've left the hangar, my liege.

  - Have they received all of the instructions, Retion?

  - Yes, all of the necessary information. May I freely speak?

  - Yes, you may.

  - Are you sure the assassins won't just run away and never come back?

  - Retion, apply some logic. Out there they have no one to help them. We're their only support. They've unsuccessfully tried to rebel before. There is not a single scenario, in which they will succeed. Mark my words, Retion.

  Ren'ul was adamant in his confidence. Retion was convinced. And how could he be not; it was his master. He knew what was best for the cause.

  ***

  The Trinity was walking around Frankfort in broad daylight, which was unnatural in a way, insane even. Garret was trying to come to grips with this newfound ability. Regardless of the fact that Tyler discovered it days ago, Garret was never curious enough to try it himself. So Tyler had to talk him through:

  - Listen carefully, Garret. This is how you do it: choose someone who walks by and focus on him or her. Focus on their head, look into their eyes. Try it.

  Garret looked at a middle-aged woman who was taking her dog for a walk. He flinched his right leg and a fraction of a second later she flinched her right leg as well. Once she did that, she had no idea how or why that happened. Ronnie was sniggering and hid it with the palm of his hand. Then he tested his mind reading on an old man who parked his Cadillac in front of his house by making him scratch the top of his head.

  - Wow, this could be very practical one day, that's for sure. - Garret was experiencing the same sort of excitement when he first drove a car on his own; boiling with joy. - The possibilities are so many, we could... No, this is shocking and dangerous, especially if it goes out of hand. We have to know how to control ourselves before we could control others.

  - So you suggest we should exercise mind control on each other? - Tyler asked sarcastically.

  Ronnie covered his face as a form of sarcastic answer and suggested that they try reading minds and leave mind control for later, because it was much easier, he reckoned.

  - Go ahead and demonstrate, Ronnie. - Tyler challenged him. Ronnie's response was a little late, because there were no people in the streets for the task. Once two girls appeared, he concentrated and tried to enter their minds. Unfortunately that attempt backfired. The girls began laughing. So did Garret and Tyler. In the most comical turn of events they all knew what was going through Ronnie's head. He accidentally transferred his thoughts to the girls, which were the same thing he said to his Italian teacher - "Hocus, pocus, imma shove it up your anus!".

  - You were supposed to read their minds, not open up yours! - Tyler barely managed to say that, due to the belly-laughter inducing situation.

  Garret managed to mend his failure and erased the girls' memory of the events. Upon doing so, they shook their heads numerous times and left.

  - I knew this would cause a lot of problems. Good thing is that most of those misadventures can be fixed. - he said.

  Then a Samoyed appeared from behind a house. It was weird, because its owner was nowhere in sight. Fortunately it had a pendant that had the address of the owner engraved on it. Before they decided to track down the owner and hand over the dog, Ronnie played with the furry canine. Samoyeds are known for their child-like behaviour and the boys quickly realized why people loved them so much.

  - Right, let's see where you actually live... Charlie. Nice name. Let's go, Charlie. - said Ronnie.

  Unfortunately for them, Samoyeds were disobedient as much as they were playful and they were having a hard time keeping Charlie close to them. He'd wander off in all directions, sometimes waiting for them to chase him as a part of a game. Tyler got a tiny bit annoyed by that and was hoping that they find the owner before sundown. The search was fruitless, so Garret came up with an idea they could have used in the beginning:

  - Is there a way we could connect to a satellite and triangulate the location of the owner's house?

  - We should have tried that eons ago! - Tyler moaned and went through the interface of his operating system. Eventually he connected to 5 satellites, scanned the address on the pendant and found the exact location in an instant. Ronnie wasn't too happy, because he believed it killed the adventure part of the task, to which Tyler replied:

  - I'm terribly sorry, sir Richard Attenborough, for spoiling your expedition, but currently we can't afford to waste time returning dogs to their homes.

  Ronnie had no adequate answer to that and he refused to ruin the mood with an argument, so he remained silent and followed the written instructions on his GPS. For now his tactic of avoiding a conflict was working, but his patience was not a luxury. Tyler, as it turned out, was not quite a fan of dogs that behaved like children.

  - God, does this dog's batteries ever run out? I guess this is what it's like to father a child that won't stop shouting and screaming.

  - Aw, come on, buddy, it's not that bad! A dog will never want your money, your car or your beer. The requirement is short and simple: love and affection. That's it. - Garret said.

  - Yeah, but imagine this for a second; the dog will poop around the house just like a baby - once every 1 or 2 hours. And I reckon it will stink just as much. I don't think I'm suitable for this sort of responsibility.

  Tyler couldn't be swayed. But as narrow-minded as that statement sounded, it did prove one thing: he knew what he didn't want and what he was incapable of doing.

  Roughly 20 minutes after the beginning of the search for the owners, the new Trinity noticed two girls who were looking for something. The dog ran at full speed towards them and one of them shouted:

  - Charlie! Thank God we found you!

  - I suppose the smiling Sammie is yours. - Ronnie said.

  - Yes, thank... Uh, what's wrong with your face?

  - That's not important to you; not currently, at least. Did Charlie snap his leash or something?

  The other girl had the leash in her left hand and Ronnie fixed his eyes on it almost immediately.

  - Ah, so the answer to that is "no". - said Ronnie.

  - Who are you, guys? - the girl with the leash was disconcerted by the boys' looks. Ronnie remembered Sable saying how he will have to present himself and act as Ankonian to the rest of the world.

  - My name is... Ankonian and these are my friends, Hexer and Kugen.

  He then turned to Garret and winked at him, but only just, so that he doesn't give it away. He was acting. More to the point; Ronnie was trying to preserve the Trinity's identities.

  - Let's go, Charlie. You need a bath. - the girl put the leash on the collar of the Samoyed and the two left immediately. Tyler was irritated at their impoliteness and how they did not thank them.

  - You could have said "thank you" at least. - said Tyler.

  - You men are all dogs. - said the girl with the leash.

  - Men are dogs, you say? What breed was your dad, then? - said Tyler.

  Tyl
er received a middle finger as a response.

  - Can you believe how rude some people can be? You find their dog, they don't ask anything about you, let alone thank you for the trouble. - said Tyler.

  - Were you expecting to practice bedroom judo with them, like you always do? - Garret tried to soften up the situation through the use of dirty humour. It didn't spark any laughter in Tyler, but it certainly did in Ronnie:

  - How often do you practice this sport and where do I sign, oh, master of bedroom judo? - Ronnie asked sarcastically.

  - Ha, ha, very funny. - said Tyler.

  - Share your eternal wisdom! Thus you will help a plethora of males across the globe! Now, in all seriousness... Yes, I, too, would feel bad, if I was rejected and verbally knocked down like that. Let's go and continue with the task.

  Unfortunately they couldn't. Tyler's mother wanted him to be home for dinner by half past seven, so that they could continue with their duties. She was fully aware that they had to spend as much time training as possible and wanted not to hold them up for too long.

  - How about we eat and then continue? - Tyler suggested.

  Ronnie had some doubts:

  - First, I have to go tell my mom, because I have no phone yet and...

  - You can easily give her a call on your stationary phone at home. - Garret said.

  - How? We can't do that. - Ronnie said.

  - I fiddled around and managed to call dad at work. He freaked out, because he was talking to a client. Man, it was funny!

  - First off, how do you call someone when you don't have a phone? Second, how did you nail the right frequencies?

  - The magic of science, Ronnie. And a space rock! - Garret laughed maniacally.

  ***

  The assassins were reaching Earth. None of them dared to speak. They had seen many planets which were colourful on the outside, but bleak on the inside. Such experiences are the reason for their expectations being kept at a healthy low. Mintelk was already preparing to fight, should someone ambush them.

  - Do you see anything suitable for an outpost? - she said to Kunala, who was once again checking the equipment they were supplied with and making sure that nothing was malfunctioning. She walked up to a monitor and found the location roughly 45 miles east of Frankfort that was not very populated and seemed perfect. Helaka expressed mild doubts, which Kunala dispelled very quickly:

  - Why would you have any doubts at all? The only entities you should fear are the Immortals.

  - I do fear death, if that is what you're wondering. Though that is not my greatest fear.

  - Well then... what do you fear most, aside from the Overlord?

  - The torture he unleashes every single time we misuse his trust. I refuse to go through this again.

  These words spurred a flurry of memories laced with violence and suffering. The Overlord used physical strength and mental oppression to submit them, but rarely resorted to sexual violence. Though when the occasion required it... he was merciless. History recalls the assassins being left with severe ovary and stomach pains, as well as back injuries and many, many bone fractures. All of that without even mentioning the psychological impact. And now, facing the prospect of undergoing more physical pain, this time from the entities whom they hate, Helaka felt uneasy and panicked. Both Kunala and Mintelk perceived it. There was nothing that could be done to avert the inevitable conflict, except for pushing forward and hoping for the best.

  ***

  Ronnie's stomach was rumbling and he felt slightly embarrassed at the thought of eating at someone's house. It wasn't the meal itself, it was the fact that he ate dinner with someone else's family. His bashfulness once again was an obstacle, but thankfully Mrs. Winfield was supportive and told Ronnie:

  - Don't be shy. You're not eating with strangers. There's no need to be tense, when you're here.

  There was truth in those words.

  - Well... you don't exactly know me... - said Ronnie.

  - You're different than most people. It makes you interesting to me.

  Everyone was in good spirits and the conversation was flowing like a river. Salads, fries, sauces and stakes were darting from the centre of the table towards the plates. Tyler's and Garret's plates were being emptied very quickly, whilst Ronnie was taking it slow; very slow, according to Garret:

  - Why are you eating so slow? Are you not hungry? Your stomach was rumbling.

  - I am eating! Pardon me for not being a conveyor belt at the table. - said Ronnie.

  Mr. Winfield chuckled. He was glad; such humorous quips were always a good sign. Mrs. Winfield had also prepared chocolate pudding for dessert. Unfortunately, once everyone emptied their plates and got to the dessert, Garret was contacted by Stromak:

  - You will have to cease whatever you're doing down there.

  - Why? - Garret answered.

  The boys joined the conversation over the network. Mrs. Winfield wondered what was going on, but Tyler told her to keep quiet.

  - We've detected a ship which has landed near you. The Overlord is up to something again, but we have no idea what. You will have to investigate. Sable should send you the coordinates shortly. Contact us once you reach the destination. Over.

  - Alright. I suppose dessert will have to wait until... tomorrow, worst case scenario. - Tyler was disappointed that he'd not eat yoghurt. As soon as the boys walked out of the house, they received the coordinates, along with some instructions by Sable:

  - The ship is relatively small, so don't expect too much opposition. Let me know who or what you're facing out there. It's imperative.

  - Sure thing, Sable. - Ronnie said.

  - So... it's... 46 miles to the east, Winchester. I'm not going there on foot. - Tyler said.

  - Yeah, it's too far away and we have to act fast. - Ronnie added.

  - Jetpack time! - Garret exclaimed and activated his jet engines.

  - Keep it down, idiot! Do you want to wake up the entire neighbourhood? - Ronnie grumbled. The last thing they needed was to attract additional attention. Tyler had different views on the situation:

  - Why not? You secretly want to raise hell, so don't act moral and obedient.

  - Yes, I do, but not when we're supposed to be quiet and sneaky. - said Ronnie.

  Without wasting too much time, the boys flew east. Jet propulsion systems are generally very noisy, but the system they were using had a setting, which allowed the engines to emit less noise and still produce enough thrust to keep the boys off the ground. Once they reached 100 feet, they flew into the darkness of the night. This was yet another test for the trio; their first assignment by New Hope.

  ***

  - I'm telling you, I just saw him! Where was he going? - said Ashlynn.

  - Who cares? Is there any way you could track him down? - said Sharon.

  - No, he was flying. And I'm not sure I could tell where he was going. - said Ashlynn.

  Ashlynn was talking to Sharon on the phone and desperately wanted to know where he was going with his friends. Sharon had a theory:

  - What if he's going to a party? You know the stuff that happens at a party, especially if it's a large one.

  - He's not like that.

  - Oh, he may act a certain way in front of you, but outdoors, surrounded by other people... he's probably showing his true self. Have you not considered that possibility?

  Ashlynn paused and thought about it. Then she suggested that they go out and find him. She couldn't take her father's car, because it would have made too much noise, so Sharon suggested that she, Abigail and Zoey pick her up with Zoey's convertible. Less than 5 minutes later the convertible screeched to a halt in front of Ashlynn's house. She quietly left the house without making any noise. That was relatively easy, because her parents were having sex and didn't hear the door clattering once it closed. She jumped in the back seat next to Abigail.

  - Where did he go? Do you remember? - Zoey asked.

  - That way. - Ashlynn pointed east. The convertible slowly pulled aw
ay and the Gossip Crew continued asking more questions:

  - Did you talk to him at all? - Sharon asked.

  - Like, now, or...?

  - Now, tonight.

  - No, I talked to him this morning. He was acting weird, distanced; he also said he was busy. Nothing more after that.

  - How did he talk? - Zoey asked.

  - He said stuff like "Why would I do it if it doesn't benefit me?". He was very defensive.

  - There's gotta be something going on. Don't worry, girl, we'll find out everything. We're with you on this! - Abigail said.

  In actuality they supported her only because of the prospect of exposing Ronnie, putting him to his knees and seeing him drown in tears, battering and breaking him mentally as much as humanly possible. They barely cared about her feelings and needs; to them she was a hired gun.

  Meanwhile, the Trinity reached the location. The sight they were exposed to was unusual. It was an abandoned mansion. Ronnie contacted Sable:

  - Sable, we're at the right place. We see... is that a ship?

  - Looks like it. But... there's no one there. - Garret said.

  - Find out who's there and what they're doing. Use whatever you have. You have the freedom to apply as much violence as you see fitting.

  - Best... mentor... ever! - Garret exclaimed and turned his index fingers into two Smith & Wesson Magnums, while Tyler opted for a pair of Remington 870 shotguns, protruding from his shoulders.

  The place itself was an abandoned three-storey house, much like any abandoned house in every horror film in existence. Fences covered in shrubs, a rusty car in front of the garage, broken windows, ripped and motionless curtains, an out at elbows facade: in short, a grey and uninviting setting. The ship was barely visible; it was hidden behind some bushes and it had active camouflage, which wasn't enough to hide it. The boys could detect almost all sorts of objects and life forms, even such with camouflage. The trio's approach had to be silent and stealthy. There was no way the house could not shelter an entire army and the ship was not big enough for an entire platoon, so they had to use the element of surprise to their advantage. Ronnie's heavy boots were not very suitable for the task, but he did as much as he could to deaden the noise from his footsteps. The assassins noticed the figures of the Trinity, but could not recognize them. Mintelk set up the turrets remotely, they shot up from the back of the house and landed in front of it. Once they landed, they began spewing salvos of lead. Seeing as the turrets were made of metal, Garret used acid to melt them down from a distance.