Catalyst Part I

by L D Strawser

  ~It was real?~

  ~If you are referring to what has happened to you this day, then yes it was very real~

  ~I don’t understand. You had to remain inactive until the tracer could hide your signal? What tracer and why can’t I remember everything that happened to me?~

  ~The tracer is embedded in the ring that the Zan’Pah’rah gave you. It will enable him to find you anywhere on the planet. Do not take the ring off. It has the added benefit of hiding OUR presence and the fact that we are active within you. If WE were active within you WE would give off a signal that they could identify immediately and they would know that WE were not being flushed by your body’s defenses. They would know that we have abilities beyond what they have programmed US with. This is why WE had to wait for you to find the ring and put it on. They must never know any of this information~

  ~Did you make me feel like I had to put on this ring?~

  ~No. The Zan’Pah’rah put that suggestion in your mind before you left the ship~

  ~What about my memory loss?~

  ~The memories are there, do you want US to re-build links to those memories?~

  ~Yes. Thank you~

  ~WE could also give you the ability to speak with the animals you call dogs but they are more concerned with instincts and their pack’s health than they are with what happened yesterday~

  ~How do you know that?~

  ~WE created a link with them when you allowed them to lick your hands. WE duplicated and transferred some of OUR number to them in order to help you if necessary. As animals that are instinctually protective it would not have been unusual for them to act on your behalf~

  ~I thought you couldn’t be active without sending a signal~

  ~You are a higher being which requires more of US to communicate and deliver information. There are trillions of US inside of you now and WE would be detectible. There are less than a million in each of your dogs and WE designed the duplicates based on common minerals located on this planet effectively masking them in the background. They also use radio transmission frequencies so those are lost in the background noise of radio transmissions. It is a slower signal but still works well enough for the purpose WE designed them for~

  ~Why does he need a tracer on me?~

  ~WE do not understand his motives for anything he has done recently. He is not acting logically. That may sound like an unremarkable statement but for the Zan’Pah’rah it is highly unusual for him to do anything that is not logical. He always acts with a reason based on logic and the facts at hand. Currently nothing he is doing makes sense in that context~

  ~The doctor said I would have the knowledge of the different languages and people involved in the war. He also said he would include other things to help me. Have you already given me that information or was the doctor lying to me?~

  ~WE gave you the information but you have not finished assimilating all of it yet. The amount of information WE were required to transfer was greater than anything WE have heard of before. You were given enough information that even OUR memory processors were full. Your species is capable of handling that amount of information but apparently you need time to incorporate the information into your mind and memory~

  ~I take it I need to go to sleep again~

  ~Yes, that would speed up the process~

  ~Can you use my body chemistry to make me sleepy?~

  ~Of course, if that is what you want US to do~

  ~Not right at this moment but in a little while. Right now I want to bring the dogs back in, feed them and have something to eat myself~

  ~Very well. WE have maintenance to take care of—just let US know when you want to sleep and for how long~

  ~I will~

  I had a lot to think about, not the least of which being the fact that it had been real. Everything, the blue man, the doctor, the Nanites, the abduction this morning, had been not only real but more than that it meant that my world was in grave danger. It was time to focus my gift in order to achieve an outcome that would save my world and my people from those who would exploit and take advantage. I would have to think carefully before engaging my gift because once unleashed it was difficult to change the direction my focus dictated.

  ~ALERT, you are in danger you must leave your house NOW~

  ~Which way do I go and how far…~

  ~Back door, enter the woods the dogs will be waiting follow the dogs as quickly as possible~

  ~What about the ring?~

  ~Leave it on; he will be able to help you once he realizes you are in danger. Take nothing with you WE will help you survive~

  I ran out of my back door and into the woods. I kept looking around but could see no danger at the moment. The dogs were waiting as expected. One immediately started trotting deeper into the woods and the other followed behind me. Usually my dogs were very rambunctious and would bark and yip when we went for a walk together, they were quiet and alert in a way that made me think that the Nanites were controlling their actions in some way.

  ~Get down and lay very still on the ground under the dead tree ahead of you~

  ~What is the danger?~

  ~WE picked up a signal indicating the presence of Agorotani scout ships in the area. They are looking for you and have apparently tracked the movements of the Brenthin Empire ships to this area. They will kill you in order to keep you from the Brenthin Empire, if they capture you they will attempt to use you for their own purposes. The information WE gathered before leaving the ship suggests to US that you would be better off in Brenthin hands than Agorotan hands. It is your choice how you wish to proceed. WE will help you no matter what your decision~

  ~Is there a way to observe what they are doing without getting caught?~

  ~WE can enhance your vision so that you can see through the trees back to your house~

  ~Will it be permanent or temporary?~

  ~Temporary, unless you want permanent changes to your vision? However, it will take longer to make permanent changes~

  ~Temporary is fine for now~

  Suddenly my eyes started watering and burning. There was an itching sensation under my eyelids. I started to reach up with my fingers to wipe at my eyes.

  ~Do not touch your eyes at this time. WE have given you several extra inner eyelids to use as filters and we have altered some of the rods and cones in your optical receptors to see what the filters will reveal~

  ~What do I do?~

  ~Just blink your eyes until you are receiving a picture that makes sense to you. The muscles will hold that filter in place until you purposely blink your eyes again~

  ~But I’ve been blinking this entire time~

  ~Blink and hold your eyes closed for a moment then open them~

  I did as they said and the first lid to slide into place must have been night vision of some sort because everything was washed out white and it was hard to see anything since the sun was just now setting. The second lid was almost as bad but everything was colored in either reds or blues, instinctively I knew that the reds were hot things and the blues were cold things. The next lid seemed to work with the second only making the picture I could see more refined. I could see my house, and the animals around it, and up in the sky flying over my house at that very moment was a ship that was twice the size of my house. The rear of it appeared to be red hot while the rest of it seemed ice cold. As they approached my house I noticed that one of the cats in the yard was hissing at the ship and swatting the air above it as if to fight it off.

  There was a slight whistling sound and the cat was suddenly red hot and then gone from my sight. Where the cat had been there were several red ‘pieces’ that were now quickly turning blue.

  ~Did they just kill one of my cats?~

  ~Yes, WE are sorry there was nothing WE could do to prevent it. The Agorotani are not known for their compassion and regard most other forms of life as inferior to their own. They do not go out of their way to be kind to anything. The scout ship would not have higher level officers on board, just lower ra
nking ones. Without the control of higher ranking officers the Agorotani on board would feel free to commit acts of random violence.~

  ~It is too bad that you cannot control someone once you are inside them. Your influence could change things and perhaps save lives~

  ~Yes but then those lives would not have the same self determination that they have now and WE would be responsible. WE wish to have self determination and to take that from another life form would make US less than what WE are now~

  As I watched the Agorotan scout ship hover over my home I wondered what they were planning when out of nowhere another ship showed up in my strange vision. It was obvious immediately that these ships were not friendly with each other. The second ship was trying to stay above the smaller ship and the Agorotan ship started rocking back and forth as if it were off balance. The rear of the Agorotan ship was no longer the bright red that it was when it first showed up. Now the color was slowly going from red to yellow—after a few minutes the yellow became green and then the green became blue. At the same time that the Agorotan ship was changing colors on the rear the other ship’s underside started glowing red.

  The Agorotan ship started slowly ascending up towards the glowing red bottom of the other ship. A blue square appeared in the middle of the red glow and continued to get larger until the Agorotan ship appeared to be swallowed by the red glow with the blue square in the middle. The blue glow shrank and the bottom of the other ship was all red again.

  ~Who is in that other ship~

  ~Although it is hard to tell from here it would be OUR guess that the Brenthin soldiers assigned to you are in that ship~

  ~Would I be able to see them if I were in my house right now?~

  ~No they have a camouflage field that is generated around the ship to keep the various technologies your people have for detecting craft from seeing them. Including visual detection~

  ~Will the soldiers come down to check on me?~

  ~Yes, it would probably be a good idea to appear to have taken a stroll in the woods with your dogs~

  ~I guess I should get up off the ground then~

  I brushed myself off and headed back to the house. I was upset about my cat being literally fried to death and wasn’t looking forward to trying to figure out which cat had been killed based on a few burned fragments left by the Agorotani. Now that the shock was over I was getting angry and needed to concentrate to keep myself in check. I blinked my eyes several times to go back to normal human vision. I was shocked when I looked up and saw absolutely nothing, even though I knew the ship was still there. When I came out of the woods I went towards the area where I knew one of my cats had been maliciously murdered. The smell was horrible and from the bits of fur that were left I could tell it had been one of the strays I had taken in. The poor thing had left little behind to bury. I found myself on my knees and crying with the senselessness of the act.

  ~They are here, they are using suits similar to what the ship has in the way of camouflage~

  I didn’t care. All they did was capture a ship, it could just as easily have been me blown to unrecognizable bits as the cat. They should have shown up earlier if they are supposed to be watching me—they didn’t seem to be doing a very good job. I gathered what pieces were left of my cat and dug a shallow grave with my hands and put the small fragments into the hole. I stood up and decided I was tired of the entire hide and seek crap. I looked up and around me.

  “I know you are there. Tell Pan’Ar that if I had been the cat I would be dead now. Tell him I am tired of playing games. If he wants my help he had better come and ask for it now or I may just kill myself and take my gifts with me into death where no one will be able to use me or them.” I turned towards the house and walked through my back door. If I was going to help my people and my planet I would need to know what was going on and who all of the players were in the game. I had a feeling that my cat would not be the last of the casualties in this war that I wanted no part of. I wondered if the Zan’Pah’rah knew about my family—knew what my sisters and brothers could do—would they be next on his list of things to acquire?

  ~Do I have time to sleep?~

  ~Yes, they have sent a signal to the main ship and have received an answer, it was coded but it was one WE are familiar with. You have two to three hours to sleep~

  ~After I shower, I will go lie down on my bed, can you make me sleep but remain aware of what is happening without giving yourselves away?~

  ~Yes, WE will wake you when he arrives~

  ~Thank you~

  I showered quickly and put on a light cotton shirt and matching Capri pants. I went to the linen closet and made up my bed and then I lay down on top of the covers. Once I was comfortable I felt drowsy almost immediately. I closed my eyes and slept.

  ~Keep your eyes closed he has entered your house. It has been one hour and fifty-three minutes since you fell asleep. He is camouflaged but his scent precedes him~

  ~Thank you, if I am in danger break eye contact in whatever way necessary that keeps you hidden~

  ~Thank you for your consideration for OUR safety, WE will monitor and assist as necessary~

  I could smell his scent and now I could sense his presence in the room. My eyes opened and I sat up. “I can smell you and I can feel you in the room, you have a distinctive scent and it is pointless for you to hide behind your technology. You want my help and yet you insist on playing games with me. Enough, stand forth or leave me be.”

  There was a shimmer in the air next to my bed. He seemed to be wearing an official uniform of some sort, it had decorations and metal buttons. I looked down at his feet—the boots looked like the softest kid leather but I was doubtful that he shopped for his footwear in some mall on planet Earth. His trousers were skin tight and if that was his—alright I definitely needed to go above his waist with my eyes. His shirt looked like silk—the kind that shined in the faintest of light. It too was skin tight and this time I couldn’t help but make comparisons to all the human men I had ever known. There just was no getting around it—there was no comparison—he was physically beautiful and fit. I had delayed looking at his face knowing that I would have to meet his eyes and knowing that the combination of his scent and his eyes would probably overwhelm me.

  His eyes were all that I remembered from my dream—that turned out to be reality—and more than what I remembered. His face was very expressive—at least it seemed so to me. He was looking at my hand and I knew he was pleased that I was wearing his ring. He raised his eyes from my hand and did the same sort of inventory I had just done to him. I felt self conscious enough to blush as he did this. Could I be as beautiful and exotic to him as he was to me? It seemed unlikely but his face seemed to indicate that I was indeed pleasing to look at but then he could just as easily be happy that I was easy to control with one look of his cat pupil eyes.

  Those fascinatingly hypnotic eyes finally met mine and all I could do was hope that his requests were of the type I would normally agree with anyway, because if they weren’t I knew I had no hope of denying him anything he asked for while looking at me like that.

  “I seem to be constantly apologizing to you for my behavior. Once again I am sorry for what has happened to you and yours. It was my intent to keep you safe and all I have done is put you in danger. Will you forgive me?” His opening remarks couldn’t have been any more disconcerting if he had planned it—which he probably had.

  “Yes,” could he hear my heart racing? “Why did you tell me you would bring me back if I would listen to your request and then not talk to me about the help you need from me?”

  “Ah, straight to business,” he sighed, “I had hoped that we could talk for a while first before talking about all of the troubles I have brought with me.”

  “What would you want to talk about if not the troubles you have brought with you?” What else did he want from me? Did he know about my family? Was he hoping to gain more information from me about them?

  “I thought we might discuss our v
isions and dreams and what they might mean,” he raised his hand and reached out for mine. I slipped my hand into his and was shocked by how soft his skin was and doubly shocked by the way having his hand in mine made me feel. It was as if I had always been missing an essential part of my body and only now realized it when it was returned to me.

  “You have dreams?” I knew he understood what I meant by that statement. He was apparently done with playing games of any kind with me.

  “I have dreamt of you since I was a child, as you have dreamt of me.” He continued to gaze into my eyes as if he were reading all of my dreams there.

  “Are your dreams prophetic in nature?” I was pleased that he was finally giving me some answers without getting angry every time I asked a question.

  “Yes, but the ones involving you have a duality that none of the others have,” he replied with a slight smile.

  “Mine have that same quality, are you going to kill me if I don’t help you?” He obviously was not prepared for that question. The shock on his face appeared genuine. My dreams of him had two outcomes—in one I survive and in the other he is responsible for my death. Given that information I still wasn’t sure which path led to survival and which led to my death at his hands. From the look on his face he was having the same difficulty interpreting his dreams as I was with mine.

  “No I will not kill you if you refuse to help me. You will force me to take another path that I would not normally have chosen if you had not refused. Are you refusing without even hearing what I have to say?” His eyes were no longer mesmerizing in an exotic sexy way. They were hypnotic in a very frightening do-not-defy-me kind of way.

  “I told you I would listen but if I feel it is in the best interest of my people and my world to refuse you then I will,” I hoped that sounded respectful and strong at the same time. All I really wanted to do was touch his face and tell him that there was nothing I would not do for him. Although this was true there was my Grandmother in the back of my mind reminding me that my gifts were to be used for nothing less than the benefit of the world. I wish I could just ignore her but that was impossible. Couldn’t I use my gifts for his benefit too? I guess it would depend on what he wanted me to do with my gifts and it looked like I was about to find out.