H.A.L.F.: ORIGINS

by Natalie Wright

Hannah stroked his hair again and gave him a small smile. “Swear it. By the blood.”

  “I swear it. By the blood. If I or any of my kin harm those you hold dear, my life and the life of my kin are forfeit.”

  She kissed the top of his head. “I accept your oath.” Her smile quickly vanished. “Get them underground, Wills. Protect them as you would protect Lizzy.”

  His fingers traced an imaginary circle on her thigh. “I will do my best, but it will be difficult to save those who do not want to be saved. Least of all by me. I am the enemy, you know.”

  She put her hands on his face and turned it up toward her. Hannah’s eyes twinkled with unspilled tears, her brow creased with dismay. “You must do more than your best. They are the future we prepared for—them… and Lizzy. Do whatever you must, but get them to Apthartos. In time, they will understand.”

  William had tapped their communications long enough to know that both Anna and Thomas considered him pure evil. No way would he ever be able to convince them otherwise. But she could.

  “You must come with me. They will listen to their mother.”

  Hannah shook her head vigorously. “No. Lizzy poisoned it. She told them I sent Robert over to meet his death. I was out shopping.” Fresh tears sprang to her eyes, and she dabbed at the corners with the heels of her hands. Her face twisted into a sarcastic smile. “I am a cliché. Out shopping, completely unaware of the danger my children were in and that Robert marched into. He kept it from me. And now I am persona non grata to my own children. I am their enemy now as much as you are.”

  William took her hands in his. “You will tell them the truth. Better yet, Lizzy will be made to tell the truth, to set the record straight. We are, after all, a family. They must be made to see this, to understand that all has been done for their benefit.”

  Hannah again shook her head. “No. It no longer matters what they think of me. Get to Arizona, Wills, and get them underground.” She kissed the top of his head, and William rose. Her eyes flitted to the table next to the chair.

  The round side table next to Hannah’s chair held a crystal lamp, a small round vase with an arrangement of fresh, pale pink roses and lavender peonies, a cup of tea that looked untouched and was likely cold, and a small empty brown vial. He picked it up, unscrewed the black cap, and sniffed. The odor was acrid and made his nose wrinkle.

  Hannah picked up the cup, raised it in the air and said, “Salute,” before she drained it in one gulp.

  It happened in one swift action before William’s brain had processed the truth he smelled in that tiny, empty vial. Hannah’s body convulsed. Pink foam tinged her lips as her eyes rolled back in her head.

  He grabbed her in his arms before she hit the floor. William scooped up her petite body and carried her to his bed. He placed her there gently, her body still wracked with spasms. He pushed the intercom and called the head of security.

  “Get to my room. Quickly. And bring medical equipment. My cousin has drunk poison.”

  He was back at her side as swiftly as his feet would take him, but in the time it took him to walk from the wall to the bedside, her body was still. Her eyes were open and glazed, fixed at a point on the ceiling. Her skin was already two shades paler from death.

  He again fell to his knees at her side and took her lifeless hand in his. He closed her eyes with his other hand and shook with grief and anger.

  In his younger years, his outbursts of anger usually ended in someone’s death, but his past was littered with the corpses of both enemies and ones he had cared for. He was sitting beside the dead body of one of the few he had ever truly loved. His instinct was to lash out and make someone pay.

  He had promised her he would not take the life of either Anna or Thomas, though. That was an oath made on the blood, and such oaths lived beyond the life of those either making or receiving them.

  By the time the door swung open, William had collected himself and stood quietly beside the bed. His face was composed and dry, with not a hint of tears he had shed. To an outsider, he would appear to be looking down on the body of a complete stranger.

  “You are too late,” he said calmly. “She died of a stroke. Such things run in her family.” He looked at the new head of security, a replacement necessitated by the shooting spree that had taken the life of the man who had previously held the job. “Do you take my meaning, Mister…?

  “Jacobs, Sir Croft. And yes sir, I understand. I will ensure that enough C-notes find their way to the coroner’s pocket to guarantee the correct cause of death on the certificate.”

  Croft nodded once. “See that you do.”

  Hannah was well loved in society circles both in the States and abroad. It would not do for people to think she had met her end in such a base way.

  Jacobs nodded. “Understood, Sir Croft.”

  William’s voice was deep and back to its usual authoritative air. “Good. I reward reliable people, Jacobs. And unreliable people… Well…”

  William looked down at Hannah’s still body. Jacobs coughed nervously and shuffled his feet.

  “You can count on me. I will not let you down, Sir Croft. That death certificate will have stroke as the cause of death even if I have to break into the office and write it up myself.”

  Croft clapped the man on one shoulder with more force than was necessary. “That is what I like to hear. Get to work on it then, Jacobs. I have work to do, and I want this body out of here.”

  Jacobs nearly ran from the room, leaving William standing still beside Hannah’s lifeless body. He was relieved to have the underling gone so that he could drop the mask of indifference and authority.

  He bent and kissed her cold forehead for the last time. “Goodbye, my beloved Hannah. I will honor you by keeping my promise. Your children will be safely in Apthartos by the end of the week.”

  19

  ERIKA

  Erika had no idea what Tex had done to Smith, but the man had gone from calling Tex devil spawn to defending him.

  “Stand down,” Smith ordered. “We are mistaken. We must get this man to the VLA.”

  The Makers men exchanged skeptical looks with each other. A few still stared at Tex in awe, but most wore skepticism on their faces.

  One of the Maker’s men spoke up. “He brainwashed Smith.”

  The other black-clad men nodded.

  Smith was quick to defend himself. “There is no brainwashing. I have been given—” Smith coughed and looked as though he was choking back tears. “I have been given a great gift. To see the future.” His eyes were far off for a moment as if he saw something on the horizon that no one else could see. He abruptly pulled his attention back to his men. “You can do what you want, but I for one will do everything I can to get this guy where he says he needs to go.”

  Another man in a black uniform stepped closer to Smith and Tex. “No, Smith, you’ve been played. He’s a killer.”

  Aunt Dana’s voice rose over the increasing tide of voices. “If he was a killer, you’d all be dead by now.”

  Erika was still seething at Dana for bringing the Makers to their doorstep, but she was glad to hear her aunt finally defending Tex.

  The uniformed men squabbled and quickly split into two factions. The sheriff, his men, and the local police, along with Smith, urged in favor of a police escort for Tex to the VLA. The rest of the Makers men were prepared to go back to Phoenix and inform the “top brass” that the “creature” was still at large and where he was going.

  Erika whispered to Tex. “You can’t let these Makers guys leave. If they know where you’re going, they’ll just tell Croft, and he’ll send even more after you.”

  Tex raised an eyebrow. “Are you suggesting I terminate them?”

  Erika wasn’t sure what she was suggesting. She was never in favor of bloodshed, but she knew allowing the Makers to leave and go back to Phoenix would be a mistake. “I’m not saying to kill them. But they can’t be free to run back to Croft, either.”

  Tex eyes glazed a bi
t, and he looked as though a part of him had left the scene entirely. After a few seconds, he said, “You are correct. Perhaps the sheriff can be of assistance to us.” Tex’s voice rose above the din. “Sheriff. Your assistance is required.”

  Sheriff Armijo walked to them. Aunt Dana followed and gave Erika a sheepish smile. Erika glared rather than smiling back at her. Dana cast her eyes down and avoided Erika’s withering look.

  As Tex spoke, Sheriff Armijo stared at him in awe. Erika had little doubt the sheriff would do anything Tex asked of him after he’d seen the “miracle” of Tex deflecting a rain of bullets and saving a man’s life using nothing more than his hands.

  “Sheriff, I need you to hold these men in your jail. You are not to allow them access to phones or computers. I do not have time right now to explain to you in detail why they are a clear and present danger, but trust me when I say that they are.”

  Sheriff Armijo nodded. “I will do as you request.” The sheriff and a few of his men cuffed all the men in Makers uniforms and shoved them into the sheriff department’s SUVs.

  Even Smith was handcuffed and placed into the back of Sheriff Armijo’s vehicle. “I will not act against you, Bodaway,” Smith said. He still looked as though he’d sucked helium or something. He looked way too happy for a guy in handcuffs headed to a jail cell.

  What did Tex do to him?

  Niyol, Kai, and the tribal leaders gathered around Tex. They reached their hands toward him, and he touched each of them in turn while Erika and Aunt Dana stood back.

  The female tribal leader that had spoken out on Tex’s behalf said, “We will come with you, Bodaway. You may yet meet with resistance as you travel the path of peaceful resolution. We can assist you in your journey.”

  Erika thought that was a good idea. So far, she had often felt as though she and Tex were fighting an uphill battle for the protection of the planet, with only Ian and Dr. Randall to assist them. Adding more voices couldn’t hurt. Who can say what we’ll find at the VLA?

  Tex took the woman’s hands in his, looked down into her deep brown eyes, and shook his head. “I will not allow any more danger to come to any of you on my behalf.”

  All at once, half a dozen voices rose in protest, chief among them Niyol’s. The old man’s skin had good color, and his eyes were bright. His bloody, muddy clothes were the only evidence that he had been shot.

  Erika considered raising a protest, too. She had no idea what they’d find at the VLA. Having more allies with them would be good. She was tired of feeling that everything rested on the shoulders of only two people.

  Tex smiled warmly but shook his head again. He held up a hand as a request for silence. “We have much work to do, and not all of it will be accomplished at the VLA. Niyol, you shared the sweat visions with me. You know what is coming.”

  Niyol’s face turned grim. He nodded.

  “Your people need you here. Spread the word. Make sure the people know the truth, and prepare to protect yourselves.”

  Tex stood with them for a few minutes. They were all silent, their eyes closed, as were Tex’s. They looked as though they were praying together, but that was an unlikely thing for Tex to do. At last, he opened his eyes, turned, and headed back to the vehicles.

  Tex got into the front seat of Aunt Dana’s truck. Erika squeezed into the small seat in back.

  “You will take us to the VLA,” he said as Dana got behind the wheel.

  To Erika’s surprise, Aunt Dana said only, “Okay.”

  They drove on a two-lane road that twisted through mountains and snow and finally descended into a desert valley. The going was slow. Driving the sixty miles between the reservation and the VLA took them close to two hours.

  The Very Large Array sprawled its way through a barren valley that sat like a bowl surrounded by mountains. The valley looked as if it had been created with a giant scoop, leaving a tawny sea of sand and rock. The white satellite dishes sprang up like giant otherworldly mushrooms. The bright white of the telescopes was a stark contrast against the cloudless, jewel-blue New Mexico sky. When they had been at a higher elevation and looked down into the valley, the radio telescope dishes appeared rather small. As they got closer, though, she realized they soared several stories high.

  Aunt Dana drove in silence, and Erika and Tex remained quiet as well. Erika saw only Tex’s back, but he was quite still. She figured he had pulled into himself as he often did to meditate and rest. His deep meditations seemed to help him revive more than sleep or food did for most people.

  Erika wished she could have talked to him instead of sitting quietly. She had so many questions for him. What had happened during his sweat? Why had his appearance been altered so dramatically? And what they had done with each other—was it a dream? Or real? Of course it wasn’t real. She wished it had been, though. With Tex taking on the status of demigod, she thought it less likely than ever that she would get to know what it was like to touch him for real.

  Erika didn’t even know why they were going to the VLA or what Tex hoped to accomplish there. As they approached, she thought they might never find out.

  A makeshift fencing structure similar to the one that had been placed around her school was erected around the perimeter of the small grouping of buildings that was the center of operations of the VLA. Four guards wearing desert camo and carrying rifles stood by a metal gate. The guard on the driver’s side held up his hand for Aunt Dana to stop.

  One of them approached the driver’s window. “The VLA is closed to civilians until further notice.” He searched the inside of the SUV as he spoke. After he’d glanced into the back, his eyes came back to Tex in the front seat and rested there.

  “I’m Forest Service, sir,” Aunt Dana said. “Not civilian, and I’m here on official business. Now, stand aside. It is urgent that I speak to the head of operations of this facility.”

  Erika was impressed with how even and authoritative Aunt Dana’s voice was, but she couldn’t imagine what kind of bullshit story Dana would have to come up with to qualify as “official business” of the Forest Service at the VLA.

  The guard’s face remained stoic as he replied, “You’ll need to call him or send an e-mail, ma’am. Facility’s closed. Turn it around.”

  Aunt Dana’s voice got pitchier. “This kind of sensitive conversation cannot simply be sent over the Internet or phone wires.”

  The guard was unmoved.

  Erika edged to the front of her seat and leaned forward, her head poking over the front seat. She was about to intervene, but Aunt Dana cleared her throat and tried again.

  “Dammit, man, this is a matter of national security. Now, get your butt on the radio and get someone down here with authority so I can talk to them, or guard duty’s about the best detail you’ll ever hope for.”

  The guard’s jaw twitched, the only outward sign of annoyance, but his voice had an edge to it when he spoke again. He leaned closer, his close-set hazel eyes boring into Dana’s. “Are you threatening me?”

  Aunt Dana leaned her face closer, their noses inches apart, their eyes locked in a mutually disdainful glare.

  Tex interrupted their standoff. His voice was deep as usual but firm.

  “You are correct. Ms. Holt, on behalf of the Forest Service, lacks authority with your superiors to cause you any serious setback in your military career.”

  Erika thought Aunt Dana, idle though the threat had been, might have been making some headway. Erika glared at Tex, but he seemed not to notice it.

  The guard pulled his attention away from Aunt Dana and bent his head slightly to see into the car. “What are you talking about?”

  Tex took his oversized brilliant blue eyes from the spot in front of him and fixed them on the military guard. “Oh, I was simply agreeing with your thinking on the matter.”

  In the silence that filled the gap after Tex spoke, Erika heard the guard swallow. All eyes were on Tex. His face shifted. His nose shortened. His cheeks caved in, forming dark hollows. His chin re
ceded to a mere nub below his lips. His skin went from a smooth alabaster to a gray nearly as dark as the skin of the Conexus beings. Tex’s eyes lost their color and reverted to the black pools of emptiness of his natural-born state.

  Tex soon wore the face he’d had when she met him. It was familiar to her and had never frightened her, but the abrupt change was such a contrast that it forced her to see how gaunt and sad Tex’s original face looked.

  The change took less than a minute, but in that brief span of time, the guard’s face went from its stoic smugness to looking as though he had just walked out of a crypt filled with ghosts. The man stuttered, “What the? Who…? Holy…”

  Tex’s voice retained the same low, firm tone, but since he looked more alien than human, it somehow seemed more ominous. “Aliens have invaded the planet. I am part alien, and I have information that may help your government defend this country against the invaders. There are powerful forces that would have me silenced because while your family dies a gruesome death, these men and women stand to profit from your loss.”

  The guard’s face went slack, and his eyes rolled up in his head, his mouth hanging open. It was the same look that Smith had had when Tex had placed his hands on the man’s head and appeared to be doing something to the guy. The guard’s face contorted with pain, his eyes filled with tears.

  Erika was ready to intervene and ask Tex to stop, but the guard said, “No, not my little Macy.”

  “I want to help Macy. But I must meet with the scientists that operate this machinery in order to do that. You will help me, yes?”

  The man wiped at the tears that had sprung to his eyes and nodded vigorously. He shouted to the other guards, “Official business! They’re cleared to go in.” He motioned for the others to open the gates.

  The other men did not lower their weapons or open the gate, though. “Is he on the list, John?” one of them asked.

  “Emergency. Screw the list. I’m ranking, and I say open the damned gate and let ’em in.”

  Another of the guards said, “But we’ve got orders, and if we go against orders—”