Echo Effect Complete Edition

by Robert D. Armstrong

  “There’s Lucas,” Michael said.

  “What happened to your friend?” Iris asked in a childlike voice.

  “I don’t know, but by the looks of New Mexico and Arizona, I’m surprised he’s even alive,” Vala replied.

  “He looks very strong. I can see it in his eyes,” Iris mumbled.

  “He’s no slouch,” Michael said. Lucas waved and smiled as Michael parked beside the Humvee.

  “Let’s do this,” Vala whispered, glancing at Michael.

  “These are our friends, Iris, good people,” Vala said before stepping out.

  “Hey, long-time strangers,” Lucas said.

  “Yeah, what the heck happened to you?” Vala asked.

  “Hey. Well, I had a bad fall. Coulda been worse, I suppose.” He grinned.

  “Hadn’t heard much out of you since we went public with the files,” Vala said.

  Lucas slumped his head for a moment. “Yeah, I’ve been pretty busy.”

  “I know the feeling.” Vala raised her eyebrows.

  “Whoa, got yourself a new friend?” Lucas asked, gesturing at Iris.

  “This is Iris, she’s with us,” Vala said.

  Lucas squinted at the girl. His pupils bounced away from her and back again. “Well, hello there,” he said. Lucas extended his hand.

  Iris stepped behind Michael, peeking around him and waving at Lucas bashfully. Vala turned and noticed she was nestled next to him. Michael did a double take as he noticed her, hesitantly putting his arm around her. He glared up at Vala. She flashed a full smile, then batted a wink. “Stop,” he mouthed.

  Michael shook Lucas’ good hand. “Good to see ya,” Lucas said.

  “Likewise.”

  “Nice shirt.” Michael turned to Lucas.

  “Yeah? Flannel’s not my thing, it was Keith’s father in-law’s, apparently. Quite the farmer, they say. He had about fifteen hundred acres up here.”

  “Wow. So, uh, where’s Keith? Can we get started?” Vala asked.

  “Yep, we’re ready to get this show on the road. Come on inside, they’re eating.” Lucas hobbled over to the entrance, opening the screen door as it squeaked. They entered the old farmhouse, stepping right into the living room lit by candles on the coffee table.

  Most of the furniture was covered in white sheets. The ceilings were high, and the wallpaper had a small, bronze, flowery design spaced evenly atop the off-white background. It was peeling all over, and there were a few holes in the sheetrock.

  “This whole thing is an antique,” Vala said.

  “Over a hundred years old, built in the nineteen-seventies,” Lucas replied.

  A set of chairs scooted across the old hardwood floors in the room ahead as Keith and Mia entered the room with Garza in tow. “Hey.” Keith closed the distance, shaking Michael’s hand. “Good to see you, old friend.”

  Keith pulled himself in to Michael, embracing him. He hugged Vala, then turned back to Mia. “Guys, this is my beautiful wife, Mia. This is her father’s home.”

  “Hi.” Mia waved, tucking her hair behind her ears. She stared at Michael, but looked away in a hurry, closing her dropped jaw. “Ahem, sorry. This place might not be ideal, but it’s the only option we had apparently.” She glared at Keith.

  “No problem. This should be fine,” Vala said.

  “And of course, Michael, you remember Staff Sergeant Garza from the Crucible?” Lucas said. Garza stepped forward confidently, but respectfully. She stopped two feet away and stared Michael dead in the eyes without a word. There was an awkward silence.

  She extended her hand. “Nice to actually meet you.” She gulped.

  “Garza.” Michael nodded, shaking her hand. Keith cut his eyes at them and grinned.

  “Everyone, this is Iris, she’s with us,” Michael said, putting his hand on top of the back of her head, careful not to touch her headdress. She grinned and waved at everyone.

  Lucas leaned in. “Michael, you got a minute? We need to move in on this situation quickly, but I need to speak with you first.” He nodded toward the porch.

  “I’ll be right back.” Michael looked down at Iris, then glanced at Vala.

  “Sure,” Vala said.

  Lucas limped outside with Michael in tow. Keith noticed them and followed, leaving the women inside. Lucas walked out of earshot as Keith closed the door behind them. “Where’s this artifact?’ Michael asked.

  “It’s in a safe place. We’ll get to that.” Keith gestured behind him.

  “That’s not why I called you out here, Michael. Ah, yeah, gotta couple of things we need to clear up,” Lucas said.

  “Okay.”

  “Who’s the girl?” Lucas snapped toward Michael.

  Michael sighed, glancing at the ceiling. “We found her. Not sure if you’re familiar with our situation, but we’ve been on the run. We were attacked and stopped at a house, she was living there, alone.”

  “Really,” Lucas asked and glanced away.

  “Yeah.”

  “Why would you bring her here considering the gravity of the situation?” Keith questioned.

  “Didn’t really have much choice,” Michael said.

  “The reason I ask is that she matches the description of a girl my men ran into on a Star Rust contract. They found her hiding in a tunnel, like an underground cave where we were hunting Star Rust. She hurled a shovel at them at the speed of sound, tore straight through a tree, and scared the shit outta them.”

  “Hmm. Yep, that sounds a lot like her. That headdress, it gives her telekinetic abilities. I’ve seen them firsthand.” Michael shook his head.

  “Okay. Yeah, that’s a problem, Michael. In a very short amount of time, we’ll be host to the most advanced creature this planet has ever seen. We don’t need any wildcards. Everyone that’s here, other than Keith’s wife, I know them well enough to trust,” Lucas explained.

  “And I’m sending Mia home soon, anyway,” Keith said.

  “So, that just leaves us with the girl,” Lucas said.

  “She won’t be an issue. I’ll lock her in one of these bedrooms with Vala,” Michael said.

  Lucas turned toward Keith, nodding his head. “Alright, how far away is the area where we’re doing the transfer with the Omega?” he asked.

  Keith pointed behind the house. “We’ll hand over the artifact in the old cattle barn. It’s about twelve-hundred yards in the back. Far enough away no one will notice the transfer, hopefully.”

  “Do you know the range of the girl’s telekinesis?” Lucas asked.

  “No. I’m thinking we’ll play it off and she won’t even know what’s going on,” Michael replied.

  “That might work. What about removing the headband?” Lucas asked.

  “No go, not worth the risk,” Michael replied.

  “Wait. What if I send Vala and Iris for a ride, like an errand. Maybe they can take Mia home while the Omega’s here?” Michael asked.

  Keith nodded. “That’s probably a good idea. Town is a good drive from here.”

  “That’s settled then,” Lucas said.

  “The only issue is, I’m not sure how comfortable I am about sending Mia off with them. Maybe they can follow her,” Keith said.

  “That’s fine. We don’t need anyone here other than myself and Michael, of course. Keith, you don’t have to be here either. After you show us how to turn it on, go be with your wife,” Lucas said.

  “You realize you’re not my boss anymore, right?” Keith smiled. “I’m staying, just in case. My knowledge of the translations could be useful,” Keith said. Lucas put his hand in his pocket and stared at the ground for several seconds, squinting in deep thought.

  “There’s one other thing, Michael,” Lucas said.

  “Now’s the time,” Michael said.

  “Earlier, when we attempted to hand over the artifact to the Omega the first time, we were betrayed by Colonel Ritter. He had an engineer that turned on the device using a glove constructed from the same materials you’re made fro
m.”

  “Shocking, human beings betraying one another.” Michael shook his head.

  “The important thing for you is that the engineer that turned it on wore a special space-type suit, like an astronaut. He was also inside a protective bubble to shield everyone outside him,” Lucas said.

  “Michael, when I worked around the artifact, I had an extreme amount of protection, too, so what Lucas is communicating is the organic portions of your body, your heart and brain, we’re not sure if you’ll have adequate protection from the electronic shockwave emitted, especially since you don’t have your wings. Those were designed to layer over your vitals and shield you in the event you were subjected to an electric blast,” Keith explained.

  Lucas stared into Michael’s eyes. “We’re not sure if the race of aliens that your materials are made from were organic based or not. The point is, you might not survive.”

  Michael dipped his head. He turned and nodded, glaring through the window at Vala. She was talking to Mia. He reached out to touch the handrail. His hand trembled as his fingertips met the old wood railing. He closed his eyes, using his seismic detection to pry for her heart rate. Her resting heart rate was much lower than a normal human. He isolated her cadence, Da-dam… Da-dum… Da-dum…

  Keith stepped forward. “I know this is tough, Michael, but we need an answer. I need to know you can do this. Do you want me to bring Vala out so she can—”

  “No!” Michael roared. “Don’t you dare tell her!” He stabbed his finger at Lucas as his plasma saber ignited.

  “Whoa, Michael!” Keith said.

  Michael quickly retracted the blade, glancing down at his reflex. Michael stared out into the landscape for a few moments. “I-I’ll do it. I have to.” He fell to one knee as Keith attempted to scoop him up.

  “Hey, buddy, I’m here. You’re alright.”

  Vala ran outside. “What happened?” she demanded, assisting Keith as Michael outstretched his arms.

  “I’m okay! Really, I’m fine,” he said. Garza, Mia, and Iris glared out the window at the commotion.

  “He’s probably exhausted. He still requires sleep even though there’s little human tissue left inside him,” Keith said.

  “Oh, there’s plenty,” Lucas mumbled.

  They ushered Michael inside, sitting him on the couch. He stared intensely at Vala, taking in every little detail. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

  “For what? You’re tired. I should have driven those last hours, but you’re so stubborn,” she said.

  “And that’s how you’ll… remember me: s-stubborn.” Michael began to drift off.

  “What?” Vala narrowed her eyes, then glanced at Lucas.

  He cut his eyes over at Keith, checking his watch. “How much time do you think he’ll need?” he whispered.

  “Maybe a half hour.” Keith shrugged.

  “Every second we wait, people are dying.”

  “Believe me, I know, but what do you want me to do?” Keith asked.

  “I don’t think we have an option until he’s recharged,” Lucas said.

  Iris strolled over to the couch and stood in front of Michael. She tapped her foot on the floor. “He’s really sleepy, huh?” She smiled.

  “Yes, very.” Vala smiled.

  Keith leaned over to Vala, you wouldn’t mind following Mia home in a little bit, and would you, maybe take Iris along for the ride?” he asked.

  “Um, I think I should wait until Michael wakes up,” she replied.

  Keith nodded. “Alright, fair enough.”

  ***

  Michael opened his eyes with Vala kneeling in front of him. “Mike, hunny, we’re following Mia home. I’ll be back soon so we can do this,” she said.

  “I thought we were doing it now?” Michael said.

  Lucas stared out the window. He glanced over his shoulder. “When you, Mia, and Iris leave, that’s when we’ll start,” he said. Keith stood up from his chair, pacing back and forth, displaying a face full of worry.

  “Wait, what’s going on here? You guys are acting strange,” Vala probed. She spun around and stared at Keith as he shook his head without a word. “The artifact, it’s going to hurt you, isn’t it? That’s what they told you?” She glared at Mike.

  “It’s possible it could injure me.”

  “Possible? Explain,” Vala said.

  “Well, we’re not sure, but the possibility is there. The device emits a multitude of signals and an electric shock the original creators were probably immune to. Unfortunately, Michael still has vital organs that will be at risk,” Keith said. Garza walked into the room and stood behind them, crossing her arms.

  Vala closed her eyes for a moment. “H-how can you not be sure, Keith? Didn’t you work with the artifact? Why in the world would you drag us through this, put Mike at risk after everything we’ve been through? I put my trust in you.” Her pupils showed a faint hint of red in the center.

  “Vala, we’re not sure because the last person who used the device had protection. The problem is, we don’t have the luxury of time.” Lucas stepped toward her.

  Vala yanked her submachinegun free, stabbing it in Lucas’ face. “Oh, we have got plenty of time, that I can promise you.”

  “Vala,” Michael said.

  “No! Don’t you dare, Mike! You’ve got nothing to say, especially if you already knew about this.” She squinted. “Did you?”

  “No, Vala, I just found out.” Michael sat up, showing Vala his palms. “Look, let’s just—

  Garza yanked out her sidearm, pointing the plasma pistol at Vala. “Put it down, now!” Garza ordered.

  “Everybody, just calm down,” Lucas said.

  Mia was frozen behind Keith, Michael could sense her heart pounding over everyone else’s. Keith appeared surprisingly calm, but then again, he’d had a gun in his face before.

  Vala stared a hole through Keith, her red eyes streaming red tears. “You’re not taking him, he’s been through enough. You two put him through the ECHO program, and I’ll be damned if you kill him after all that. You two made the mistake of bringing that fucking alien here, not us! You should have left that artifact alone! We agreed to help, now you’re telling me it will probably injure him. To me, that really means it might kill him. Mike, get up, we’re leaving,” Vala said.

  “Vala, I’m sorry, but I can’t let you leave,” Garza said.

  “Then we have a serious problem, don’t we?” Vala cut her eyes at her.

  “Look at the big picture here, Vala, who else can do this? Michael’s the only one. We go trying to hand the device over to the creature ourselves, we’ll be killed by the government before we even reach it. We’re on the run, we’re fugitives, blamed for this. We have to turn on the artifact, and Michael’s the only one who can do it,” Garza explained.

  “Not our problem. We didn’t bring this on anyone.” Vala shook her head.

  “Vala, listen, every minute we wait, people are dying, probably thousands. This is not the time. I understand you both have been through a lot but—”

  “Oh? You understand? How is it that you understand what we’ve been through? I don’t even fucking know you, bitch, so don’t come here telling me you can relate. You can’t!” Vala aimed the gun at Garza and shook it furiously.

  “Val, please, stop,” Michael said, showing her his palms. “Just—”

  “No!” Vala shouted.

  “Drop the weapon! I won’t ask you again! The stakes are too high!” Garza yelled back.

  Vala shook her head, glancing at Michael she gritted her teeth. “I’m sorry.” Vala squeezed the trigger, firing the weapon, but as it discharged, Vala and Garza’s weapons were yanked upward, pulled from their grip. The guns were sucked to the ceiling, slamming against it. Mia screamed as the bullet struck the ceiling. Garza and Vala stood there with their arms in the air, staring at the ceiling.

  Everyone’s attention shifted to the opposite side of the room. Iris peeked through the door. “I don’t like fighting, and I reall
y don’t like guns,” she said.

  Vala glanced at Garza and turned her back, marching toward the door. “Mike, Iris, let’s go.”

  “I can’t.” He stood up.

  “W-what?” Vala muttered, snapping around toward him. “What did you say?” she asked.

  He reached out for her, but she smacked his hand away. “Val, if I don’t, if I don’t do this, then we risk everything. Everyone. It’s that simple.”

  “Mike, they’re lying to us. They probably know it’ll kill you but they won’t say anything,” she replied.

  Michael stepped close to her, staring her in the eyes. “Even if it does kill me, you have to know it’s worth it,” he whispered.

  “No. What? H-how do we know it’ll even work, Mike? It sounds like a theory more than anything. It could literally kill you and still not work. Have you considered that?” Her eyes watered up. “You’re willing to do this over a t-theory?” she asked. He stared at her without a word, his ghoulish green eyes were unable to communicate his answer, but his silence did.

  Vala dropped her head in submission, closing her eyes. “S-so long w-we waited to be together. So much, pain,” she said. Michael attempted to embrace her, but she pushed him away. “No! you stay away from me! Don’t ever touch me again!” She turned toward the door, storming out of the house with Iris in tow.

  “Vala?” Iris yelled in confusion.

  Michael’s glowing eyes dimmed as he began to crumple backward on the couch, but Keith and Garza shot in to catch him.

  “Michael!” Keith flashed Mia a grim glare as they ushered him back to the couch. Michael’s glowing eyes turned black as he laid lifelessly.

  “What’s happening?” Lucas demanded.

  “He’s shutting down.” Keith scrambled, turning him over onto his back.

  “Well, what can we do?” Garza asked.

  “I-I don’t know. It seems like he’s low on power. He’s relying solely on these solar receivers on his forearms and shoulders now.”

  “I don’t think that has anything to do with it. Vala leaving him, that might’ve just killed him, even before he gets to the artifact,” Lucas said, staring at the ceiling.