Thursday, September 28th, 8:40 AM
Grand Marais, MN
“Kamal and I expected this, but not to such an extreme degree,” Art said, walking alongside Evan.
Evan continued helping Syrrah along, their path just taking them by the arcade games. “Yeah. I get that Tate would tell local authorities, but wasn’t there anything else you and Kamal could do to stop them? I mean, we’re getting surrounded by Feds. How did this get so out of control?”
“A tipping point, about an hour ago, while Kamal was channeling again,” Art said. “Their forces outweighed our own, which is why Kamal made a decision, then, that I agreed with.”
“What decision?”
“Let us discuss this, with Doctor K.”
Matti ran up to Evan. “Doctor K said they have helicopters and guns. And other people are coming too!”
“Other people?” Syrrah asked Matti.
“Yes! I think they’re your fans!”
“And reporters,” Mom-Kyleigh said, getting Matti by the hand. “Come on, Matti, we need to sit down now.”
The recliner had been folded on back to its sitting position, the blankets and pillows gone. Evan looked to the TV screen. Dr. K was standing by it, a remote in his hand, toggling through a four-by-four grid of video camera views of the outside, around his home. At times he would click on one of the views, enlarging the view to the entire width and height of the screen.
“Syrrah, here, sit by me,” Neraeh said, when they neared the front of the sofa.
She sat to Neraeh’s left, in the same general spot where she lay last night on the recliner.
Evan glanced around. All the hull people were still here, and Rochelle, Syrrah’s parents, all of them sitting or standing with their focus on Dr. K and the TV screen, but so were some other people he didn’t recognize. Probably Dr. K’s other employees? Several of them were wearing lab coats. He sat down to Syrrah’s left, and to the right of Freddy.
“Yeah, dude,” Freddy said. “It’s getting critical. I overheard Art. They’re planning to take us all somewhere, with the AKTS.”
“Damn, Fred.” Evan wrapped his arm around Syrrah and she readily leaned against him, laying her arm around his abdomen. “It should be okay, hon. Don’t worry.”
“I know,” she said. “I guess we’ll just have to see what they figured out.”
Art, Dr. K, and Kamal appeared ready to speak. All eyes and ears were on them, from what Evan could tell.
Dr. K looked to John, standing near the arcade games. “Is everyone accounted for?”
“Yes. All eight of us, Belinda included, but she was already here. We are all on this level and ready to go.”
“Good. Very good.” Dr. K glanced around. “As you may have heard, and seen on the screen here, my home and property have been surrounded. We rather expected it, given Tate’s disgruntled behavior and verbal threats, yesterday, but we didn’t expect it so soon and to such an intense degree. This is true overkill. Evan did not commit a crime, plenty of witnesses and video footage show otherwise. And news reports, and my sources, have concluded that Dana’s body was confirmed as the body of Dana Zypher, so authorities have that resolved.”
“Then, they must be thinking I somehow summoned extraterrestrial involvement,” Evan said. “Why else would they act this way?”
“Yes, Evan,” Dr. K said. “Art and I concluded the same. They may be blaming you for the entire frightening occurrence, the arrival of the unknown beings, the stretching and displacement of buildings and people, though no one was hurt by it alone. And, like I discussed with you before, Syrrah’s arrival here, is suspect.”
“They believe I might be an alien?” Syrrah asked. “Something like that?”
“Yes, Syrrah, possibly, that could be another one of their speculations. And we don’t have a precise number yet, since more and more are arriving, whether government, reporters or fans, but John estimated about twenty at first, and then some minutes later about fifty. And with the increase in people arriving all the time, could be around a hundred soon.”
“Looks like you’re getting a small army out there,” Robert said, standing against the bar countertop, his arms crossed.
“Yes,” Dr. K said. “I wouldn’t doubt it.” Dr. K controlled the remote, until the video grid was a two-by-two, showing four total camera views. “The views I have on screen now are the main trouble spots. We need to focus on them, though all camera views are important. I’ll be toggling back, and forth, until we leave.”
“Have any of those men simply attempted to knock on your front door,” Nahas asked. “And if so, have you or your employees answered the door?”
“No. None of them have done so yet. They seem to be buying some time, maybe waiting for more backup. And I would not want my employees answering. Very unwise, given all the weapons and tactical equipment they have. I brought us all down here, within minutes of knowing this situation.”
“Absolutely,” Nahas said. “That makes perfect sense, of course.”
“And if any of you are wondering about any legal recourse I could obtain, I will tell you that yes, I do have several attorneys, but in a situation like this, I doubt there is much they can do.”
“That also sounds quite logical,” Nahas said, and Dad, Robert, Hanson and Rochelle, in their own words, agreed.
Evan took a good gander at each one of the camera views. He understood now why Matti said there were helicopters. One of them looked just like the helicopter that approached Mom-Kyleigh’s bus that time, a Black Hawk, weapons capable with room for passengers. Several police helicopters were flying around too. Police and other government-uniformed people were in the woods, slowly approaching, carrying weapons and looking threatening. And then one view, revealing the end of Dr. K’s driveway, showed a police-barricaded spot with news reporters and other people, probably fans, practically overflowing the barricade onto the section of driveway closer to Dr. K’s home. “Wow. What the heck. A freaking giant circus out there. You said until we leave. Where are we going?”
“I’ll have Art and Kamal take the floor, to give that discussion.” Dr. K remained on the right side of the TV, moving a little bit more away from it, though Art and Kamal were already by the other end of the TV.
“One of the main reasons Kamal was channeling for so long was to determine our next move,” Art said. “Where we should go, what we should do, to protect all our lives. And how can we accomplish this without our foes, the negative EBE forces, interfering. Evan, and Syrrah, your family members, and the rest of the hull people, were part of a discussion this morning. We explained how Kamal’s channeling and remote viewing, combined with my guidance and discernment of the potential coordinates of the teleportal system, produces a favorability percentage for both the possible teleporter coordinates combined with its timeframe availability, and the future outcome of this teleportal placement decision.”
“Wait a minute,” Evan said. “Let me get this straight. So, if you pick a place to bring us, everything has to be right, and safe, for the portal coordinates and any future outcomes from doing it? Is that what you mean?”
Robert clapped his hands several times, loudly. “Bravo. The kid rescues the day. Art, mate, that’s exactly how you should have explained it. Simple and to the point.”
Evan, Freddy, and Syrrah laughed quietly under their breath, as did a few others in the room.
“Well, I’m sorry I didn’t,” Art said. “And it’s definitely not that simple. But, let’s stay focused now.”
“Yes, please,” Dr. K said. “We have to make a decision soon.”
“We knew the Feds had something planned,” Art continued, “and so we had a few places selected, for where we could all go, yet keep Doctor K’s employees safe. Such as parks, underground structures, and so on. The most promising location was the outdoor performance park in Grand Marais, something for which Doctor K is a head chairman, and organizer.”
“I never would have agreed to that,” Evan said. “Putting Syrrah outside, exposing her to the public? Come on, really?”
“That’s understandable,” Kamal responded, “but Syrrah was meant to be exposed, for many to see, not hidden away entirely.”
Evan felt his heart rate kick up. “But under the current circumstances? That’s insane, never mind dangerous!”
“And wait a minute,” Syrrah said. “I was meant to be exposed? Are you serious?”
Robert, his stride urgent, walked closer to the TV screen, with Dad, Hanson, and Nahas doing the same. “You blokes see what’s on some of the camera views?”
Yet Kamal had concern on his face and ignored the TV screen. He walked over to Syrrah, until standing before her.
Evan could see more helicopters, and men, weapons ready and advancing on the ground, but his attention was on Kamal now.
Kamal sat down on one of the ottomans. “Syrrah. Though it goes without explaining, given the very public, broad-reaching circumstances upon your arrival, yes, it is true. Your private life will never be the same.”
“Great. I know what you’re saying, but I truly wanted to live my life, like before, when I was just Syrrah Van Meir.” She gazed at Evan. “Soon to become Syrrah Turrone.”
He smiled at her and gave her a kiss on her forehead. “Thank you, hon. I love the sound of that.”
“Me too, Evan.”
In a gentle manner, Kamal placed his hand on Syrrah’s hand. “Okay, you two. Things will work out. You’ll see.” He stood up and walked back near Art.
His words captured Evan’s attention. “What is it, Doctor K?”
“Through various hair DNA tests, my lab was able to determine, that yes, Syrrah from the past, years ago, matches up with you, Syrrah, currently.”
“Really? Thank you, Doctor K,” Syrrah said. “I am very happy to hear that.”
“I am too, Syrrah,” Evan told her.
Many others in the room, especially Hanson and Neraeh, expressed their positive, excited words on this also.
Further discussion ensued, quiet mumbling, with most of their overheard words centering on the security camera views but with other words expressing amazement about the DNA proof of Syrrah.
Syrrah leaned closer to Evan. “So, in effect…” She spoke at a near whisper. She didn’t want Neraeh to hear? Neraeh had her stare glued on that TV screen anyway.
He studied Syrrah’s face a moment. She had a worried, perplexed expression. “What is it, hon?” He made sure to speak quietly too. “Go ahead. You can talk to me.”
“I am both dead, and alive, at the same time?”
He couldn’t help but smile, that long ago, frightening memory from his past suddenly becoming truth, and beautiful. “Yes. But the main thing is you are alive, and I couldn’t be happier.”
“What is that?” Alan yelled out, his eyes on the TV. “Holy mother of God, literally!”
“What, Alan?” His view partially blocked by Nahas and the others watching the TV, Evan removed his arm from around Syrrah. “Come on. We have to see this.”
She stood up with him. He walked her closer to the TV, drawing nearer to everyone else in the room huddling by the screen, with questioning words of ‘what is that’, ‘who’s responsible’, clanging out. Freddy and Neraeh stood by them also. His view much better now, given his tall height, and Syrrah safely within his arm, her own arm wrapped around his back, Evan directed most of his attention on the screen. Dr. K was controlling the camera, getting closer views. Up in the sky, a white oval-shaped cloud, with horizontal, puffy layers, was slowly descending nearby, drawing closer to the treetops in the pine-filled woods surrounding Dr. K’s property. Streaks of glowing orange, red and purple periodically appeared within the cloud. Didn’t seem like any regular cloud Evan ever recalled seeing. “Oh my God.”
Syrrah held on to him tighter. “What is that?”
“I would say that is a Lenticular cloud, often mistaken for UFOs,” Dr. K said, “but I have never seen one around here before.”
“And why are the Feds on the ground not paying attention to it?” Robert asked. “Something’s not adding up here.”
“All right, everyone.” Art was now holding the main AKTS device. “This is it. Time for plan B. We all need to get in the gym, ASAP.”
“Where are you taking us?” Evan asked.
“My underground fortress, where I brought you, Neraeh, and Freddy.” Art began leading everyone across the mancave room.
Evan didn’t hesitate, guiding Syrrah along, past the arcade games, the card and pool tables and directly toward the hallway connecting this room with the gym. Kamal walked near them, with Hanson pushing Beverly in the wheelchair, Freddy and Neraeh helping, just ahead of them. Dad, Mom-Kyleigh, and Rochelle walked behind, with Matti racing ahead until near Art, in the lead. Dr. K, near the bar side of the room, was quietly speaking to John as they walked, while all his home employees and lab people, along with Belinda, were hurrying along too. Robert, Nahas, and Akina were gaining yards near Art.
It was a frantic, anxiety-induced panic rush, except without the crazed racing around, or erratic screams and hollers you would expect from this. Everyone was somewhat calm. That is, except for Matti. But he was always racing around anyway, at least when he wasn’t having down time from the nasty Lyme.
“Holy smokes!” Alan called out, from behind. Evan glanced back. The dude was still by the TV screen. “Don’t know what’s going on, but things are darting out of that white cloud, from high up.”
“Alan!” both Dr. K and Dad yelled, at nearly the same time. “You need to be with us, now!”
“You idiot dipstick!” Robert yelled at him too. “Haven’t I taught you anything? Get over here!”
“Okay, okay, I am!”
Unable to keep his eyes on Alan, Syrrah his main concern, Evan continued guiding her along. Yet shortly, Alan appeared up ahead, near Robert.
“Come on,” Kamal said, taking hold of Syrrah’s right arm, helping her to move faster. “We need to get there.”
“You okay Syrrah, you want me to carry you?” Evan asked her.
“No, I can do this. I’ll move faster.”
Kamal released her, and hurried ahead, as she was now doing an easy jog.
Art was standing by the hallway entrance, yet holding the AKTS device, while everyone else had rushed ahead into the gym. “Syrrah. How are you doing? Are your legs okay?”
“Yes. They’re good. I can do this.”
Evan jogged with her, Art doing the same though he made sure the device was secure in his arms.
“Art. What the heck.” Evan had to know. “Why couldn’t you have just teleported us all from the mancave room? Why the need for the gym?”
“A lot of people all at once, Evan. Twenty-five of us. Some standing, some sitting, which also complicates things.” Art stayed beside them, his glances nearly constantly on Syrrah. “And then there will be three of my men in our underground facility. A lot of arrangements that must be done in a large space, so the coordinates must be accurate and safe.”
“Okay, I get it. But what about the alien forces that blocked your ability to stop the Feds? Aren’t they going to interfere now too?”
“That is why we are heading to my underground compound. We have established another EBE technology to prevent most of their negative interference. Think of it as a safe, direct internet cable line from here to the underground room, instead of a scattered Wi-Fi signal.”
“Okay. Damn. I hope so. Do your three goons know we’re coming?”
“Uh, yeah, my three relatives know we will be arriving soon. And they have cleared an area.”
“Sorry. Couldn’t help it.”
They were all soon gathered in the gym, with Art in the center. And yes, it could be seen how this would allow better access to the coordinates once Evan glanced around at all of them, spread out yet relatively close.
“How do you want us to stand?” Dad asked, as did some of the others.
His fingers already inputting coordinates or other info, whatever it was, upon the AKTS, Art looked up and glanced around the gym. “We need to gather close, but not too close. About three to four feet separating each of us if we stand alone. Or, if hugging together, like Matti and Kyleigh, stay together, but remain standing and three to four feet from a single person. And Beverly should be fine in the wheelchair, with Hanson holding the handles.” He looked at Syrrah. “Here, come here, Syrrah. I want you and Evan nearby as we do this.”
It was obvious he was making Syrrah the main protected person in all of this, and that was somewhat understandable, yet it didn’t feel balanced and impartial at the same time.
Evan held her hand, walking with her until she was about three feet from Art, with Kamal standing near, watching Art’s input. Syrrah wrapped her arms around Evan, and he in turned wrapped her up in his embrace, keeping her close.
A sudden mild shock wave ripped across the gym room.
And everyone in the room sensed it, their similar words ‘what was that?’ echoing across the gym’s expanse.
Evan looked around. Up above, along the second-floor track, was the same cloud-like phenomenon seen on the camera view. White. Thick. Thicker and denser than a cloud, with strikes of other colors, like internal lightning, shooting or scattering within it. “How did that get here? Art! Get us out of here!”
“I’m trying, I’m trying,” Art said, his voice calmer than it should be.
“Matti!” Both Dad and Mom-Kyleigh were calling for him.
On instinct, Evan wanted to run and grab him, but thankfully Matti ran over to Mom-Kyleigh.
“Those same things again!” Alan yelled out. “Look!”
Evan couldn’t help but observe this. Men were diving, headfirst, out of the odd cloud-like structure, wrapping themselves up in a tight ball, like an Olympic diver, and spinning a somersault once until landing on the gym floor in a bent knee position. They landed like it was nothing. Without injury, even with the second floor more like the height of a third floor? And the force of their landing didn’t vibrate through the floor, one bit. “What on earth?” Evan turned his head, his body slightly, while keeping Syrrah close. The men were landing all around the oval-shaped gathering of the hull people, family members, and Dr. K’s employees.
The men then stood up instantly, tall, very tall, their motion far quicker than seemed possible, yet smooth as silk. They were big, broad-shouldered, with thick arms, thick legs, thick torso. Things got even stranger. Whatever was on their bodies, a futuristic form of police tactical armor, Halo-like, alternated between lighted yet translucent sections of tan, dark blue, white, or yellow, or other shades to disappearing completely so that anything behind them was observable. Invisibility uniforms?
All while Evan was watching, words of shock, screams, and other verbal exclamations sounded out.
He was about to speak to Syrrah, her questions, words of fright, confusion, needing his protective guidance, when one of those men slammed his hands together. A flash of blue light exploded from his hands, instantly blowing up to a massive light sphere that then rocketed across everyone in the gym room.
In an instant, Evan felt Syrrah and his own motion halted, like they had been immersed in an invisible, encasing material that prevented any movement.
Evan tried to speak. He couldn’t. His mouth felt numb, frozen. He tried to move but couldn’t. He could breathe and see clearly, and he felt Syrrah’s lungs expanding and contracting against his body, his arm still around her, yet she was not speaking or moving. He could blink and move his eyes. He rolled his stare around, taking in what he could. The others around him were the same, with Art’s fingers frozen in place, unable to continue the execution of the button presses to get them out of here, though Art, Kamal, and any of the others within his sight range were breathing. But they all were frozen in their facial expressions and body motions, and none could move. None were speaking.
One of the men began approaching closer, to Evan, walking in between Dad and Mom-Kyleigh, with Matti still in her arms. Matti was against her, holding on, but like the others not moving.
This man stood taller than Evan by around half a foot. But when he looked at the man’s face, visible under the color-changing, tactical helmet, fear shot through him. This did not appear to be a man, or a human being. The eyes looked wrong.
Evan’s breathing picked up, his heart beating hard in his chest.
For a split-second, he thought he was observing one of those awful Causalitors, with their orange eyes and bizarre, pentagon-shaped scales. But, no. Beneath a helmet composed of the same alternating colored or invisible material, the being’s face was, yes, human-shaped, though Asian or Polynesian similar. The irises, however, were black, but the whites were blue, so the entire eye appeared mostly black.
But the skin? Bronze overall but covered in bluish-black tattoos. Patterns with lines in parallel sections, triangular sections, circular sections. No, wait. The closer the being’s approach, Evan could tell these were not tattoos. They resided beneath the skin, protruding outward, slightly, like wires, thick muscle fibers, or straight-line, thin veins. What on earth…living being, or cyborg, android?
All the other beings had the same appearance, from what he could see from his position.
The one approaching him stopped about three feet away, next to Art. Something about its very presence emanated immense power and strength. The being didn’t speak. Had to be alien. Did it communicate telepathically? Evan waited a few seconds, expecting something, anything, arriving in his mind. The alien only stared, the intensity, power of its stare beyond anything Evan could ever bear down on someone. But he felt nothing, heard nothing. He did detect a faint copper odor, however.
The alien stared lower, at Syrrah, for a moment.
Abruptly, the alien being turned away, and walked, somewhat robotically, though there was no clicking or mechanical sounds from that body or armor. It was a strange, silent motion, except for some sounds of the feet on the wooden gym floor. Didn’t help too that at times the armor made parts of the alien’s body or its entire structure become invisible. The human-like being or alien continued walking, navigating around Art, Kamal, Dad, Mom-Kyleigh with Matti until on the outer edge of their large group. The alien stopped, turned, and faced all of them again, like the other humanoid aliens were yet doing.
Something else now shot out of the cloud on the track. Another human-like alien was dropping down, yet without the spinning act, instead floating, more rapid than appeared normal for a soft landing.
But this new alien did land softly, barely breaking its stance.
In an eyeblink, this new being flashed over and stood before Evan. Like a portal jump. Like a fast-forwarded video. Evan’s body wanted to startle but didn’t. His eyes couldn’t help but blink in awe.
“We had to do this.” This thing, this alien actually spoke? The being’s appearance was similar to the others except it had Dad’s height and build. It held a white tool within a glove-covered hand, very much shaped like a human’s hand, all five fingers there, and swiped an arc with the white tool near Syrrah.
Evan realized he could move again. And he felt Syrrah moving too. He immediately shifted Syrrah with both his arms to his side, away from the alien. He noticed, however, Dad, Matti, Mom-Kyleigh and the others were still unable to move. He stared at the being. “What do you want from us?”
“I was about to tell you not to try your fighting tricks on me, or any of us. But you already know. There is nothing you can do to fight us.”
“Art, Kamal,” Evan said, eying them both, the two yet frozen in their same pose, the AKTS locked in Art’s hands, “what the heck did you get us into?”
“You must come with us. And the AKTS will not function now.”
“Who are you?” Syrrah asked, her body trembling against Evan.
The being looked at Syrrah and smiled, showing human-shaped teeth that were tinted light blue. “You must come with us. You have no choice.”
“You didn’t answer her question, or mine,” Evan said, wrapping Syrrah even closer in his arms. “Who are you, and what do you want from us?”
“Who we are, and what we want is of no concern at this moment in time. The only information you need to know is that you are coming with us now.”
“Well, we don’t want to go with you now. We refuse. We don’t know you.”
“Very understandable. But it does not matter. We are leaving now.”
“Oh yeah? And how?”
“Watch.”