The Immortal Trinity: Inheritance

by Momchil Yoskov

  - Are you two awake? - Ronnie said.

  - Yes, we just ate breakfast. What's wrong? - Tyler said.

  - Sable just told me there was something wrong. He was very... annoyingly vague about it. Didn't tell me a thing. Something's coming towards Earth. He labelled it as "a huge threat". See if you can talk to him by the time I get to your house... wait... where are you guys? How come you've just both finished breakfast? - said Ronnie.

  - He came over earlier to eat with us. - said Garret.

  - Oh, OK. That makes sense. Whatever. Talk to Sable! - said Ronnie. As he was saying that, officer Bronco pulled over in his car right next to him.

  - Hey. What happened in Tennessee? - Lawrence asked.

  - We did the job and got the money. I'm in a bit of a rush right now; can't talk about it. Can we talk later? - said Ronnie.

  - OK, you know where you can find me. If I'm not home, my wife will let me know that you've been looking for me. See you later, Ronnie. - said Lawrence and left him behind. Ronnie headed straight for Garret's house. As he opened the door, he said:

  - What did Sable tell you?

  - Not much. He did not have details about it. - said Tyler.

  - Well alright, but what or who are we going up against? - said Ronnie.

  - No idea, mate. What we know for certain is that some platform is drifting towards Earth, a lot of aliens are on it, one of them is especially large and someone is leading them. Trouble is that we have no idea where it's going to land and how heavily armed they are. Sable didn't mention anything about sending support. Stromak was also silent on the matter. - said Tyler.

  - Yeah. It certainly isn't helpful. "You have to fight some weirdos, but we can't tell you where they are, nor how many they are." - Garret jeered at Sable.

  - In that case we can't do anything but stand around and wait until somebody somewhere on the planet cries for help. - said Ronnie. - Fucking great, eh?

  - Absolutely. - Tyler agreed.

  - I told my mom to hide, just in case everything goes south. - said Ronnie.

  - Why... why on Earth... you're nuts! - said Tyler.

  - When you think of it, it's actually smart. We don't know where the attack is going to be. Safety precautions are always a good idea. - said Garret. - Now, how do we take hold of radio frequencies?

  - Why would... oooh, so we can figure out who was struck and where they are! - said Tyler. - Doesn't your friend, the prof, have any tech that could help us?

  - He has some, as far as I remember, but if we use it, we might all get in trouble. I say we go to him, let him show us the receivers that he has and figure out how to make our operating systems tick at the same frequencies. - Garret's plan made perfect sense. That way they'd find out more about tapping into radio frequencies, which is an ability they now possess, but are not adept at and they won't drag the professor into any legal issues.

  - Hold the phone. A while ago you said that you managed to call your dad while he was at work. - said Ronnie.

  - Yeah, but that was hacking into a phone, not a military-grade receiver. - said Garret.

  - Then it's settled. Anything else? - said Ronnie.

  - No. Not that I can think of. - said Garret.

  - Well then let's get moving! - said Ronnie and zipped towards the door. He was determined to do well this time. "Well" in his mind meant "flawless". Ronnie was a perfectionist. He was constantly striving to be as good as he could possibly be... when he wasn't lazy. Whenever he made a mistake, even on the smallest of scales, he felt immense guilt that would not go away for hours, days, sometimes even weeks. The unknown was drilling his mind - that, coupled with the voice he heard while eating his dinner a couple of nights ago. Was this the event which would "shatter his perception of life and reality"? He could only make up scenarios in his head and only predict the outcome of the events to come. Ronnie was even brooding over what weapons he was going to use and how he would arrange them, seeing as he had access to a wide assortment of firearms. His mind started spinning around.

  ***

  - Why would you not be interested in Nathan? - said Zoey. - He's so cool!

  - Because I woke up stark naked next to him at the party! - said Ashlynn. - And I feel embarrassed to discuss it. And I don't remember what I've done with him.

  - Someone's been frisky... - Sharon giggled. - Mind if I ask him if you've... gobbled his shaft? - she exploded into laughter along with the rest of the Gossip Crew.

  - Oh, for Pete's sake, shut up! - said Ashlynn. - All you girls ever think of is sex.

  - Well, me, personally, I wouldn't imagine playing chess or studying human rights while drunk at a party. - said Abigail. - Of course, that's just me.

  - You're so annoying! - Ashlynn was gradually becoming more and more irritated.

  - I've told you so many times: lighten up! - said Sharon. - This is something you'll remember later on as time goes by and you'll do nothing but laugh at it as we look back and remember it.

  - No, I won't! - Ashlynn groused. - Because I clearly did something without really knowing what was happening, under circumstances beyond my control! It feels so embarrassing.

  - And that's exactly why it's great to have such experiences! Because... no, really, I want you to tell me, as honest as you can be... who would be excited to hear about your achievements in school and university? - asked Zoey.

  - My future husband, perhaps? - said Ashlynn.

  It's worth pointing out that the conversation was taking place in Sharon's bedroom. They were trying their best to keep it down, because Sharon invited them under the specious pretext that they were collectively doing a difficult assignment for university, which was ridiculous on its own, because along with the food they were eating in the room, Sharon had a few bottles of beer for all of them that were conveniently hidden in a cool bag underneath her bed. As expected, Ashlynn did not express any desire to drink and rejected the offer.

  - Your future husband won't be interested in your SAT score! - said Sharon. - What he'll be interested in is how he's going to shove his dick in you and then spray your tits as if he's trying to paint the wall of his room.

  - Ugh, that's gross! - Ashlynn was repulsed. - Why do you always think of stuff that's so lewd?

  - It's simple, buttercup! Would you expect women like us to talk about make-up and lipstick? - said Abigail.

  - Well, we do that, but not all the time. - Zoey added. - The problem is this: you avoid the problem. Well, it's not... OK, let me try and say this again. You avoid talking about stuff like this and somewhere, later on, years later, perhaps, some guy's gonna ask you what you're into and you won't be able to give him an answer, he'll end up disappointed and then leave your ass for a better one.

  - I agree with Zoey. - Sharon said. - At some point you have to say what you like, otherwise you're simply losing your time and the guys around you. There will come a time when your best friends will be cats and you'll look at men as if they're some kind of aliens or something...

  Ashlynn submitted. Her thoughts turned pale and she was trying to see her possible future that way. The vision was void of any positivity and that made her sink even more.

  ***

  Azzurra was chatting with a colleague of hers from university. And in a typical female fashion, they were discussing interpersonal matters:

  - I don't know, Julie, I felt so... strange. - Azzurra began spilling her thoughts. - It's like... he was there, in my head, knowing everything, everything that I like, everything that I wanted. And he's... he's a boy, but behaves so much like a man. - Azzurra shivered. - I... no, I can't...

  - Was he... how else did he behave? - Julia asked.

  - Oh, he's such a gentleman! So... so... no, I can't say it. - said Azzurra.

  - Go on, it's fine, it's just between you and me. - Julia assured her.

  - He's so gentle, so caring and... I felt like I could give him so much. - said Azzurra. - I gave him one of my business cards.

  - No! - said Julia. - You did not!
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  - Oh yes, I did! He was so calm about it. - said Azzurra.

  - But you're his teacher! - said Julia.

  - Not for long. I was told by the principal... you did not hear this from me! - Azzurra warned her. - He told me that Ronnie was going to take a few exams that would result in him graduating, if he passes them. So if he passes them, then there's no problem.

  - That's great and all, but... wait, wasn't he... what year is he in? - Julia asked.

  - He's a senior now. I can't tell you how or why he's graduating now. - said Azzurra. - But he is and then, after that, he's free.

  - I've seen some videos online of some guys fighting some... it looked like aliens. - said Julia. - Do you know anything about that?

  - I've seen the videos and Ronnie is in them. - Azzurra said.

  - Do you think he's on their side? - Julia asked. - That he has something to do with them?

  - I have no idea. I want to know, too. But I'm sure that he has more pressing issues right now. Ronnie doesn't seem like the conflicting type. - said Azzurra. She reminded herself of her visions. Back then she was startled not only because there was someone else there, but also because she felt... surprisingly comfortable and safe. Azzurra wanted to know, but had no way of reaching Ronnie and that struggle was eating her inside.

  ***

  Ronnie, Tyler and Garret reached the professor's lab. Without a hint of hesitation, they barged inside. The professor, unsurprisingly, was tending to his usual duties and was startled.

  - What? Who... oh, it's you lot. - professor Harrington said.

  - So you're... what was his name... - Ronnie said.

  - I haven't seen you before. - the professor told Ronnie. - I'm professor Demarcus Harrington. Garret shared some information about you.

  - And I know that you've already met the arrogant Englishman. - Ronnie said sarcastically.

  - Hey! Since when did you break out of your depression cage? - said Tyler.

  - Leave personal bickering for later. This is a laboratory for a reason. Now, what exactly are you here for, Garret? - said the professor.

  - I can't really say not because I can't explain it properly and understandably, or rather not just because of that, but also because we don't have any information about it. Someone's attacking Earth. We have no idea who he or she is, how big the army is, if there is one and where they're about to land and start pillaging. Alongside all the weapons, we have a whole slew of systems that we can use to our advantage. One of them is long-distance communication through an integrated intercom, which we can hook up to any communication device in existence. The problem is that we have not yet mastered that skill completely. Once the attack takes place, we have to know where it occurs. We believe the best strategy is to tap into the military radio waves, so that we can find out at the exact same moment they find out that they're coming and where exactly they're going to land. We need to see your radio transmitters.

  - Oh no, I can't do that! These transmitters that I have are so advanced that I'd be thrown in a prison cell for the remainder of my life! - said the professor.

  - No, no, we won't use them. We need to simply have a look at them, analyse them and figure out how they work, so that we can readjust our own systems to intercept the frequencies that we need. - said Ronnie.

  - Is that so? - Demarcus said.

  - Considering that it's something we can do ourselves, why would we stay here and wait for something bad to happen, when we can be on the move and simply fly to the location in question and start fighting right away? - said Tyler.

  - Hm, seems reasonable. - the professor said. - As long as you don't show the internals or the schematics to anyone! - then the professor went into one of the back rooms with the Trinity following him closely. As one would expect, the back rooms were messy, dusty and crammed with mostly unusable or unnecessary equipment. After unlocking a safe, the professor revealed two transmitters, which were kept in plastic bags to protect them from the effects of dust and oxidation. - Here they are. These haven't been used in some time and might need to be recalibrated.

  - If there is a need for recalibration, we'll surely find out one way or another. - said Garret and grabbed one of them. - Eh, do you guys know how the analysing bit... thingy... thingamajig works?

  - No idea, mate. - said Tyler. - I'm trying to figure it out.

  Then Ronnie fiddled around with his operating system for about two minutes, while Tyler and Garret were struggling. After those two minutes passed, two light rays shot out of Ronnie's eyes and covered the transmitter in bright red. With that he received a detailed view of the schematics and information about the manufacturers of the transmitter. Ronnie said with a ton of satisfaction in his voice:

  - I've got it! No need to waste any more time.

  - We saw that; no need to rub it in. - said Tyler. - How did you do it, anyway? Never mind. Wait, what's that?

  Ronnie transferred the information he obtained to the operating systems of Tyler and Garret.

  - The geniuses who made these things are supposedly working at Plant 42. - said Ronnie.

  - But... that's... directly linked to... Area 51. - said Garret as he made a quick search.

  - I managed to get a hold of these after a colleague of mine told me about them and then brought them here. I knew straight away that those things were very valuable, very sought after and that if any military or government official saw these in my hands, I'd be shot on sight. Because of these wretched contraptions the very same colleague who brought them here got murdered and my laboratory as a result got turned upside down and inside out, so that they could retrieve the transmitters. Fortunately I had them perfectly well hidden and they didn't find them. Nothing happened to me, apart from some malevolent threats. It was surely one of the more stressful moments of my life. - said the professor. - I could go on and on with my stories, but you boys have more pressing matters right now.

  - True that. Let's go! - said Garret.

  ***

  - Raymond, where are you right now? - Macy was talking to him on the phone. - Ronnie left the house in a hurry and told me to hide.

  - What for? - Ray said. - Did he tell you?

  - No. He only told me that something bad was going to happen and that I needed to find a hiding spot. Has he told you anything? - said Macy.

  - No. Apparently he didn't consider it to be necessary. - Ray said sarcastically. - Typical him. Do you know where he is now? Have you heard about anybody seeing anything strange? Is it quiet over there?

  - It's still calm. Nobody's told me anything yet. - Macy said.

  - When things go wrong, you know where to find the weapons, honey. - Ray said. - Just call me when things go south, alright?

  - Yes, I will. - said Macy.

  ***

  - What godlike entity gave you the insane and unthinkable idea of being silent about the theoretical landing spot of the army? - said Stromak.

  - It's a way for Ankonian to keep the initiative and let him realise that we will not tolerate any fooling around. He's already taking too long to resume his training. - said Sable.

  - And you keep iterating that I'm soulless. - said Stromak.

  - But you are. - said K'lunip, the head of the arms department. That infuriated Stromak.

  - You'll be stripped of your rank like Ipetex, unless you cease to comment that way! - said Stromak. As a result of that reaction K'lunip remained silent for the remainder of the conversation. - Sable, when do you plan on telling them... anything?

  - Until they cannot handle the situation themselves. - said Sable.

  - How do you think that will happen? - said Stromak.

  - The Trinity are now inexperienced. Correction, the new Trinity. While that may be so, they are certainly not oafs. Once their fight begins, they won't be dumb enough to handle it all by themselves. You can count on it. I've not had a lot of chances to examine them, so to speak, but so far I can tell you that they are cooperative and are far from capable of handling situations on their
own entirely. What I want to see is what the Trinity will do under the current circumstances. As for now, we sit back and do nothing until it is the right time to step in. - said Sable whilst monitoring the positions of Garret, Tyler and Ronnie.

  - You'll have to carry their anger after all this. - said Stromak. - I'm not doing it for you. Simply letting you know. K'lunip, you're about to receive some punishment. You're about to spend some time rearranging the armaments... again.

  Upon leaving, K'lunip muttered:

  - Rotten scum.

  That caught the attention of Getiya as their paths crossed. She asked her:

  - Hey! Did they tell you anything about Ankonian?

  - I just received punishment and all you care about is someone who doesn't exist anymore! - said K'lunip angrily.

  - He's alive! He was in the medical centre and I helped bring him back to life! - Getiya said.

  - How? - K'lunip's eyes bulged.

  - They brought him in lifeless and told me he had lost his mind. - Getiya said.

  - But... their home... no, it can't be, you're lying! - said K'lunip.

  - Ask Sable, if you don't believe me. - said Getiya.

  - I still firmly believe you're lying. - K'lunip said and left in a fit. As Getiya entered the command room, Stromak left, visibly irritated and unwilling to talk. She approached Sable and asked:

  - How's Ankonian? Is he healing?

  - His current condition is none of your concern. - said Sable. - He has more pressing tasks to complete. Once he's done with his duties, you'll finally have the chance to talk to him and ask him every question you have on your mind.

  - Whatever you say. K'lunip doesn't believe me. - said Getiya.

  - About what? - said Sable.

  - That Ankonian is still with us. - said Getiya.

  - Have you tried convincing her? - Sable asked.

  - I tried, but as soon as I began doing so, she left. - Getiya answered.

  - See if Hinu can help you with that, then come to me and tell me if she's convinced. We will properly introduce the Trinity, once they return. - said Sable. - Now I want you to leave, because Ankonian will soon need my help and I don't want you to distract him.