THAT FALL

Like a camera flash, the light blinded Oren as he entered the pool. He expected to feel wet but felt only warm air pillowing his body. His vision cleared, and he raced down an endless tunnel of starlight, the spots of light leaving trails alongside him. He instinctively reached for his cross, but found he had no physical form. His breath left him as the air pillow turned into a scalding bath of fire. In his mind, he imagined his mouth open wide in a scream, but could only hear what seemed the gentle tuning of a harp. Just as he knew his body was being burned from his bones, he found himself standing in the foyer of a house. He dropped to his knees and vomited.

Doctor Antoine, similarly positioned on his knees, was also vomiting and gripping his own chest. Katro placed a hand on the doctor’s back and said, “Time-travel can be inconvenient for some.”

Oren found his voice. “What was that?” he asked as four badger-like creatures cleaned the vomit from the floor. Oren stared at them as they scurried about with what appeared to be a hand vacuum.

“A short trip. We’re at the base,” Katro said. “Doctor Tirifini will want to examine you, but he’s busy for the moment. Go with Castania.”

Oren noticed Castania standing behind Katro. She asked, “What took you so long? We’ve been here for two days.”

Rising, Oren said, “We left right after you did.”

Katro smiled. “Yeah, but time is different on this end. You got here two days ago?”

“Yes,” Castania said, “And a day before the second group. Doctor Tirifini’s staff already adjusted Katie and Brian.”

Oren shook his head fighting the ringing in his ears. “Adjusted?” he asked.

She frowned. “Cured? Yes, that’s the word. Go and see.” She gestured to the adjacent sitting room where the Longwood group had gathered patiently waiting.

Oren hesitated as Doctor Antoine rushed into Nurse Vasquez’ arms. She was crying, “I was so frightened when it took so long for you to get here.” As the doctor stepped away, both he and Oren noticed her very pregnant belly. She laughed. “I know, right? Don’t look so concerned. The doctor told me the portal accelerated the pregnancy.” She beamed and said, “I’m nine months!”

“How?” the doctor asked. “How is it possible?”

“I have something more impressive,” she said, turning the doctor to face Brian.

Brian stood behind him wearing dress slacks and a thick sweater. The boy who would only wear pajamas and could not make eye contact extended his hand and said, “Doctor Antoine. Nice to meet you properly. Finally.”

The doctor accepted Brian’s hand and managed to say, “Ah, hello.”

“They gave me a shot. Fixed me right up. I'm still me. And still cool. Don’t think about it too much,” Brian said as he released the doctor’s hand, which remained extended. Brian laughed.

Oren, knowing he was dead and in heaven, reached out his own hand, “Son, it’s nice to meet you.”

Brian rushed to Oren and wrapped his arms around Oren’s waist. He said, “My big friend!”

Hesitating for only a moment, Oren returned the embrace and patted Brian’s back. Tears filled Oren’s eyes. “It’s a miracle.”

Brian pulled back and looked into Oren’s face. “I feel awesome. It’s like I can finally express myself. A bit of a relief, but otherwise, I’m the same guy. And you have to see Katie. She’s in the kitchen playing canasta with Eleanor.”

“She’s what?” Doctor Antoine asked.

“I have so much to tell you, Andre,” Nurse Vasquez said. “They’ve cured genetic defects, illness. It’s incredible.”

“We have to get Oren and Antoine to the nurses to get checked. Drink this,” Castania said, offering both men cups of red liquid.

“What is this?” Doctor Antoine asked, accepting the cup and examining the contents.

“It will help with the time distortion. No side effects. Drink up,” Nurse Vasquez said. “It helped my headache after the portal. Do you have a headache?”

Oren realized his head was pounding. “Yeah. Pretty bad one,” he said, also accepting a cup from Castania. He took a long drink, and the headache dissolved. He smacked his lips together. “Drink up, Doc. It’s worth it.”

The doctor sipped, timidly, then downed the contents. A smile covered his face. “It’s like cherry soda.”

“See, I told you,” Nurse Vasquez said. “Apparently, the staff and soldiers and all of that will be here shortly. And Reynolds and that group should be here in under an hour.”

“I’m confused,” the doctor said.

Nurse Vasquez hugged him. “Give it a few hours. You’ll get used to it. Well,” she hesitated as one of the badgers bumped into her foot with the vacuum, “you’ll work on getting used to it.”

“Where’s Renya?” Oren asked.

Nurse Vasquez and Brian shared a brief look. Brian said, “She’s been with her doctors for two days. It’s not looking good.”

“Come on,” Nurse Vasquez said. “We can go see her.”

With trepidation, Oren and Doctor Antoine followed Nurse Vasquez up the short staircase to the second floor. They found Renya on a large bed surrounded by other beings. One was over seven feet tall, grey skinned with slender arms and large, pupilless, orange eyes. Twin fish-creatures were sitting in folding chairs on either side of Renya’s bed. An older man with a long beard and skin that phased from purple to greenish blue like a strange montage raised his pinpoint eyes to the arrivals.

“Ah, you must be Doctor Antoine,” he said, extending his hand. “I’ve heard much about you from your lovely mate. I am sure she told you about her condition.”

Doctor Antoine shook the being’s hand and said, “Yes. Ah, thank you.”

“No thanks needed. I’m Doctor Tirifini. Renya’s personal physician.” His mouth stretched into what Oren considered a smile as he said, “You will get used to the various appearances of those you will meet. Sorry to not have the time for a gentle orientation. I need to know about Renya’s condition while in your care.”

“Bien sur. Which part should I describe?” Doctor Antoine asked, adopting a clinical tone while the blood remained absent from his face.

The older man frowned as his skin turned from the greenish-blue to pure green. He said, “Perhaps when Renya came in and out of stasis. That would be the most helpful to determine what is driving in and out. We are hoping once the General arrives, they can destroy the Ryad feedback loop, thinking the continuous signal is causing Renya to phase. We know the loop is causing trouble for others. But, considering Renya’s abilities, she should have escaped no matter the externalities. We must be missing something. She has never been embedded before, so, perhaps she is suffering from an unintentional side effect.”

Doctor Antoine cleared his throat and frowned. He said, “During my initial interview with her, she returned, briefly. Then again, when the agents administered water and kept calling her Renya. Although before the agents came, when Reynolds went near her, or touched her, she started to glow. But she didn’t speak.”

“Any other triggers?”

Nurse Vasquez joined them and peered over the screen in the purple thing’s hands. She said, “Her son, Andre.”

Doctor Antoine tapped his leg and said, “Her son is a big button. She recalls the kidnapping as Angie. Which, I understand is an embedded experience, and may be a good starting point.”

Doctor Tirifini’s skin faded to a lavender. He said, “None of her children were ever kidnapped. She had one child imprisoned. Long ago.” He frowned.

“You could attempt cognitive therapy - getting her to recall the kidnapping repeatedly until she recognizes it is not her own memory. I’m unfamiliar with your practices, but it seems reminding her of her true self brings immediate results.“ He smiled, adding, “And she seemed to come out when we played heavy metal music.”

“I don’t know about the music, but I otherwise agree,” said the chameleon doctor. He continued checking the screen in his hands while taking furtive glances at Renya. “And you say she appeared to use her abilities both as Krigare and as Renya?”

Doctor Antoine said, “She attacked coworkers with unusual rage and strength. Then, as Krigare, she injured one of my staff and blew up windows and cracked walls.”

“Yes,” the doctor said, gesturing to the broken and taped windows in the room’s corner. “We had a little incident last night. That is why I am concerned. See, no matter who she thinks she is, she is still Renya. Renya has abilities. But this persona, this Angie, does not understand those abilities or how to control them.” He turned to the orange insect being and said, “We will need to restrain her.” He added, “Immortals. So high maintenance, you earthlings would say.”

Doctor Antoine asked, “So you’re not immortal?”

Doctor Tirifini gestured to his throat. “Me? Oh, no. Well, I suppose in Earth years, yes. I am midlife and am over ten-thousand years old, so to you, I live forever.”

“Is it because of traveling at light speed?” Doctor Antoine asked.

Doctor Tirifini nodded, not looking up from the screen in his hands. He said, “Yes, yes, it is, partially. I am surprised you concluded that! We Baratoques have unusually long lifespans, anyway. But travel extends it.”

“So, Reynolds is immortal?” Nurse Vasquez whispered.

The old man, his skin now greenish and purple, leaned closer to Nurse Vasquez and whispered, “Nothing lives forever. Except immortals. They existed at the beginning. Aside from the short-term effects of drugs or shocks, they cannot be killed. They can be trapped. But they cannot be harmed except by another immortal. And even that is difficult.”

“Then how did they hurt Renya with the doser? The chlorine?” Doctor Antoine asked.

He said as his skin glowed a lime green, “Renya’s vehicle body can be harmed. The poisons from the agents are specially formulated and work like Kryptonite to your Superman.” He chuckled. “The chemicals disrupt the being’s connection with the vehicle body.” He paused. “In this condition, she has decided she can be hurt. Or killed, living forever as a dead body.”

“That’s terrifying,” Nurse Vasquez said. “So, if she stays as Angie, she can die?”

He shook his head, lowering his voice. “No. She cannot die. But she will… she will think, she will believe that she is dead.”

Doctor Antoine frowned. “And be alive but dead?”

“Yes. She programmed her own stasis. And designed her own body. Which, as Nurse Vasquez and I have discussed, is not a human body, but a vehicle — “

“Which explains her CT scan!” the doctor said.

“Yes, the body she is inhabiting is a bio-machine and would be structurally odd compared to a human’s body. But she should have complete control, no matter the vehicle’s condition. We know she is hurting herself, restricting herself, you might say. We just don’t know why. If anyone can awaken without intervention, it’s her. The drugs the agents gave her slowed her recovery but cannot really stop it. The vessel is functional.”

“But she can come out of it? If she wants to…” Nurse Vasquez said, peering down at the sedated Reyna.

“Theoretically, she can do anything she wants.” The doctor tilted his head, his skin a pale green, “We are not sure why she is not.” He leaned closer to her. “In fact, even when the feedback loop worked on others who were embedded, it should not have worked on her. Not her…”

“Well, she can’t live forever as Angie. That would be intolerable,” Oren said, startled at his sudden bravery to join the conversation. Renya’s appearance pained him. He said, “We have a story on this planet. It’s called Sleeping Beauty. A girl’s father marries an evil woman who tries to kill the girl by giving her a poison apple.”

The fish-woman attendant smiled exposing small, snub-teeth. She said, “We have a similar story. Except the girl eats a poison tongsen. Like… your prunes?”

“This whole thing with Renya is a lot like that story.” Oren touched the tips of his fingers to Renya’s hand. The skin was unusually smooth and cool.

“Not really like that story at all,” the attendant said with a tilt of her head.

“But she’s so beautiful. And poisoned, really.”

“Oh, yes, that’s what you mean. Yes.” The attendant adjusted her seat and checked her computer screen, adding, “But the Sleeping Beauty is nice.”

Oren asked, “Renya’s not nice?”

The attendant’s eyes grew larger and bulged further out of her head. She said, “Oh, no, sir. She is more than nice. But not so… how would you say? Innocent. Not so weak.”

Nurse Vasquez asked, “So they never age?”

Doctor Tirifini adjusted his tie and said, “I have studied that. They seem to go through sexual maturity, like any living thing without a permanent physical form. But then they manifest an appearance of age they choose. It seems they all settle on their mid-to-late-forties. Makes them appear respectable, I suppose.”

“That’s funny,” Doctor Antoine said, “We saw them shift ages when they were first reunited.”

The doctor said, “That is a good sign, actually.” He made a note on his pad.

Doctor Antoine leaned closer to the other doctor and whispered, “So how old is she?”

The old doctor’s skin dimmed to a light yellow. “All the immortals are over fifteen billion years old, or something close to that. I have never asked, honestly. Navin is the youngest and he is, I think, thirteen or fourteen billion years old.” The doctor’s skin became a dark purple. “Can you imagine being married that long? I left my first wife after only three-hundred years.” He chuckled, then paused, realizing his impropriety, cleared his throat and said, “Well, the point is, is, treating immortals is a very different business.”

“I would imagine,” Nurse Vasquez regarded Renya and the several practitioners surrounding her.

Doctor Tirifini went to the bedside and nodded to a woman with similar chameleon skin who appeared to be his assistant. She injected something into Renya and Renya moaned. The tall insect being touched Renya’s neck, wrists and ankles with a long rod and red-light bands appeared around each point he touched. Restraints, Oren realized, rubbing his own wrists. The doctor shook his head. He waved off his staff and approached his patient. “Renya? I need you to come to the front. You are phasing. Can you hear me?”

The being on the bed opened her eyes, terrified, and obviously Angie Krigare. She asked, “What do you want?”

“I’m Doctor Tirifini, dear. You are Renya.”

“I… I don’t know who you are. I want my son.” She started to cry and tried to turn her face away. She pulled at the restraints on her wrists.

Doctor Tirifini backed away slightly, making notes. “She needs more rest. I cannot proceed until she gets three days of rest or more.”

“We do not have three days,” one of the twin fish said.

“I understand that. But pushing her could lose her forever.” The doctor returned to Doctor Antoine’s side and asked, “You said she seemed to recover her personality when anyone called her Renya?”

“After she had had tons of water. The agents got her to come out.”

The chameleon doctor checked his pad. “Hm. Well, we have been calling her by her name.”

Nurse Vasquez touched Doctor Tirifini’s sleeve, seeming to recall something. She said, “The agents seemed to get her to come out when taunting her!”

“Ah, that’s important.” The doctor smiled and his skin turned bright green. “Good observation. Are you sure you don’t want to join my practice?” He chortled.

“Her cat seemed to help. Where is he?” Nurse Vasquez asked.

The doctor frowned. “In the next room. Someone was feeding it. Furious little beast.”

Nurse Vasquez waddled from the room and returned with the cat, asking, “Can we remove the restraints? Seems kind of silly since they won’t work if she decides they won’t restrain her.”

Doctor Tirifini nodded in agreement and the tall man used the rod to remove only one of the wrist restraints.

Nurse Vasquez deposited Sam the Cat on the bed. The cat immediately hopped onto Renya’s stomach, purring.

Renya opened her eyes and reached for the cat. “Oh, Sam. I don’t know who these people are.” She hugged the purring creature with her one loose arm.

Doctor Tirifini waved his arms about and said, “Let us let her rest. Nurse Vasquez, I want you back in bed. Out, out. Except Doctor Antoine if he wants to remain.”

Oren followed Nurse Vasquez into the hall and watched her waddle towards another bedroom. Unsure of what to do, he retraced his steps towards the foyer. The first floor was now filled with beings and equipment. Brian met him at the foot of the stairs.

“They all just appeared. Crazy, right?” Brian said, biting at a large apple. “You hungry?”

Oren shook his head. “This is a lot to take.” He turned as Navin and Reynolds appeared at the front door, with Jack close behind and Josey entering the house last. The first floor buzzed with activity. Strange creatures worked on what looked like radios and computers; others on what seemed like cell phones. Everyone chatted and pointed at glass charts that floated unsupported. As the inhabitants noticed the new arrivals, all fell silent. Oren could hear his own exhale it was so quiet. A crowd had gathered around them, many with bowed heads, many kneeling.

Oren heard someone yell, “All Hail, Queen Renya!” The house inhabitants echoed the cry. “All Hail, General Dentri!” Again, an echoed response. “All Hail, Captain Dentri!” A third response.

Reynolds raised his hand and the clamoring work resumed. Oren noticed a purple-skinned being similar to Castania and several other beings who looked like Katro. He noticed several humanoids. At the end of a long table sat a tall, thin being with yellow skin and large black eyes that reminded him of a praying mantis. Next to it were three short similarly insect-like creatures with large eyes and wings sticking through their shirts. The room bustled, the inhabitants moving and rushing between the rooms. Brian followed Jack and peppered the conversation with his own questions. Oren remained in the foyer next to a small sitting room turned into what appeared to be an office. Beyond, beings in dark red uniforms and that yellow mantis creature surrounded a large dining room table. They scratched on the thin glass boards with their fingers. Like clear computers, the boards reacted like touchscreens. All Oren could think was that all these computers would have thrilled Lindsey.

Navin laughed, and said to Josey and Jack, “Hey, you guys trying to catch flies with your mouths open like that.” He handed Oren his necklace and cross. Oren pocketed it.

“Amazing.” Jack swooned, taking a seat in the dining room and firing questions at anyone who would glance his way.

“We will get you oriented. It may seem a little surreal,” Navin said. “And can you wait to punch me, Josey? I am a little busy.”

Reynolds bolted into the dining area, calling to others something about the feedback loop. He listening to a short, squat bald fellow, who appeared almost human, explain how the agents had altered and continued altering the signal, but they found the source. The bald man informed Reynolds the prisoners were on the third floor waiting to be questioned.

A frighteningly thin bluish-skinned woman also approached Reynolds. Oren gawked at a tail peaking from her skirt, swishing back and forth as she walked. She said, “General Dentri? We have located the transmitter and await your order to detonate.”

“Why are you waiting? Do it.”

“Yes, sir.” She disappeared into another room, her tail swishing hypnotizing Oren.

The yellow bug-man raised his hand and called out to Reynolds. Oren was sure it was not in English. A wave of nausea crashed over him as he watched Reynolds approach and those at the table fall silent.

A human at the table said, “We are at a distinct and unpredicted disadvantage without Renya. What is her status?”

Reynolds was matter of fact, relating the events at Longwood. “She reanimated a human male. And, while recovering, was struck by two dosers. I will check with her doctors when I return from the ship.”

“Sir. I know this is painful for you. But we need to plan. Can you handle this without her? With all respect.” The man hesitated before he said, “Sir, I heard she is firmly Angie Krigare.”

A bluish woman in a red uniform raised a paw to her face, shocked. Others murmured concern. No matter the language, the timbre was clear. Oren backed away farther into the shadows of the foyer.

“We will kill the signal, General,” the human said. Oren frowned. Was he human? He had human form but without ears and with hooves. No, not human.

Reynolds asked, “And the ship?”

“It arrived as scheduled.” The hooved man stood, having to bend to fit beneath the ceiling. He turned to the screens, pointing. “It’s stationed to the south. Island Beach, New Jersey. We have instructed the ship to remain submerged.”

“Good. And the rest of the fleet?”

“In position.”

Reynolds looked back towards the foyer, regarding Navin. He asked, “Causalities?”

“Human? A mere three billion confirmed as of early this morning. The Ryads have eliminated communication channels. We attempted to reach the United States President, but he is unreachable. As are many world leaders. We believe the Ryads assassinated world leadership.”

“Ryad scum,” Reynolds said. “We encountered no Andolonian activity on our trip after word they were activating.” He seemed to search his mind then asked, “The full attack?”

“They began activation and then withdrew. We think they will reactivate in four days. Five, tops. They appear to be in the standard ten-day negotiations.”

“Andolonians do not negotiate.”

“No, sir. They do not.”

Three bug-things scattered into the nearby room. What appeared to be a human woman turned from one screen, and said, “We believe, sir, that they are waiting to confirm the Queen is dead.”

Reynolds nodded. Oren wondered: What queen? The queen in Britain?

“General?” The blue-tailed woman asked. “What about the other… problem?”

Reynolds turned away, waving his hand. “I will address these other matters when I return. Navin, get ready.” He and Navin slid out the rear screen door

Oren turned to Josey and said, “I need to talk to you.”

Josey frowned. “Me? Why?”

“Besides the crazy crap and purple-hoof people-and you haven’t seen Nurse Vasquez or Brian yet—”

“How long have you been here?” she asked.

“Just got here. About two hours, I guess.”

“That makes no sense,” Josey said, staring at a stick-bug rushing past.

Oren grasped her upper arm and whispered, “They said Renya should just be able to wake herself up. Why has she not done that?”

“Because she used all her energy to save you?” Josey quipped.

Oren frowned and said, “The doctor said that shouldn’t matter. In fact, her doctor says they’re missing some key piece of information. Some reason she’s still in stasis.” He paused and looked around. “But I know. She is doing it.”

“Doing what?” Josey asked.

“Renya. She’s keeping herself like that,” Oren said. He pulled at her sweater and looked around for a private space. Unable to find an uninhabited corner, he escorted her out the back door to the yard. The haze occluded the October stars.

“You wouldn’t believe how bad it is on the road,” she said. “I didn’t see any people… any humans.”

Oren paused. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “We should be safe here.”

“Yeah? Not after the crap Reynolds was dumping all over the place.”

“Do you want to talk about it? The drive?” he asked. Josey’s pallor concerned him.

She gazed up, and a tear leaked from the corner of her eye. “Maybe. I don’t know. This is too much.” She looked into his eyes and said, “What do you mean she’s doing it to herself?”

“Josey, when she… when she brought me back. I saw something,” Oren said.

“What?”

“I saw in her mind.”

“In Renya’s mind?” She laughed. “Now you know how I feel, Oren.”

“That’s why I’m talking to you. I figured you’d understand. I feel like I know less and less every day…” he said, reaching into his pocket for his cross.

Josey looked up at the black, foggy sky. “I just want to leave.”

“No. You can’t,” he said. “Listen.” He turned her face toward him with the tips of his fingers. “I don’t know who to tell. I wanted to tell her doctor but am not sure he’ll believe me. And I’m not even sure what it means.”

Josey pulled away from his touch and snapped, “I don’t really care about all of this.”

“Listen,” he demanded. “She reminds me of you. When you get angry, you tank your life.”

“That’s unfair, Oren.”

“You do. You trash jobs, friendships. You try to kill yourself,” Oren said.

Josey took a step back. “Yeah, so?”

“Renya is angry. At Reynolds,” Oren said, his dark brown eyes orange in the darkness.

“So, why would that matter?”

“She’s doing this to herself,” Oren said.

“Have you looked around, Oren? Do you see the ships hovering over there? You took the portal. You didn’t see the fires and smoke. All the abandoned towns. The abandoned cars. Everyone’s gone, Oren. Our planet is done. And all I want to do is run. But to where? It’s all gone. Nothing out there but spaceships and madness. Madness here. I just want to feel normal. Even my crazy life was better than this. And maybe… maybe seeing all this death has made me not want to die. So, for the first time in my pathetic life, I want to live. And that’s not going to happen.”

“You have to just trust–”

“Trust? I won’t do that again.”

Oren pursed his lips. He said, “Jack trusts them. I do, too.”

“Why? What about any of this makes sense?”

“They helped Nurse Vasquez. And I was dead, Josey. I left my body. It was over.”

Josey considered and felt her anger subside. She said, more to herself than Oren, “I just don’t know what to do.”

“You need to have faith. To give trust where it’s deserved.” He tried to reach for her shoulder and frowned when she pulled away.

“How can you not be freaking out? Because, I’m freaking out. And I don’t have my meds.”

“They can give you something.”

“I don’t want whatever they have, Oren. I want out of here.”

“You can’t leave.” He paused and pursed his lips again. “I saw her mind.”

“You said that.”

“And she knows you, Josey,” he said “I saw her mind. Navin was here to operate the portal. Yeah. And to work with Eleanor to spy on the Ryads. That’s all true. But his primary role was to protect you.”

“Protect me? From what?”

“I… I don’t know if they would want me to tell you. Because they’ve not told you. But I’m almost sure Renya saved me just to give me information. She was sorry for the fight with Reynolds. For abandoning Earth. She's trapped herself as punishment. Crazy right? And that you’re… you’re one of them, Josey.”

Josey ground her teeth and felt tears well in her eyes. “Fuck you, Oren. That’s just… just cruel.” She bit her quivering lip. “You don’t know what the past few hours were like. It was hell.”