The despair in Kade’s voice escalates – “Tan, tell me what’s on the monitor! I can’t fucking see and I’m freaking out. Be my eyes, I beg you.”
I don’t hold back, “It’s their followers, they’re swarming in and wrecking the place: ripping open cupboards, tearing down pictures, smashing mirrors..."
... “They're seeking my wife's brain and us," cuts in little Kelvin.
"Is mom's hologram still here?" Asks Kade. I note a level of control has returned to his voice.
I turn round, "Yes, she's here, but she's flickering, like a candle that's about to go out," I say.
When she speaks, her voice is staccato, "Acti-vate-my-em-erg-ency-oxy-gen-supply," she crackles.
Little Kelvin springs into action, sprinting to the far corner of the cryogenic room and disappearing behind a small door.
"What's happening, Tan?" Asks Kade. I look back at the monitor, "There's more of them, they have sledge hammers and are smashing open doors and walls," I explain.
When I look down at him, I’m saddened to see he looks diminished, deflated, like he's shrunk. He continually rubs and stretches his eyes open, "Tan, I'm really frightened. He looks up, staring right past me, "I can't fight what I can't see," he says.
Crouching down I cup my arms around his face and pull it toward mine. His eyes are darting up and down, left to right in a desperate attempt to see something. When they settle his focus is not on me, but the wall behind. His hand travels up my chest and settles on my face, "What are you doing, Tan?" He asks.
"I'm looking at your eyes. They don't look damaged. Do they hurt, itch or sting?" I ask.
"No." He shakes his head, then burrows both fists hard into his eyes, "I need to see – to fight!" He repeats.
I look at the monitor and see more followers arriving – all heavily armed!
A feeling that I've had many times before returns to me, but this time my foreboding has an edge of finality to it. When I look back at the monitor I know for sure that we're not equipped for this fight.
......
Little Kelvin races back into the cryogenic room as mom's hologram flashes back into fully functioning mode, "Your oxygen supply is secure, as is your brain," he says with pride.
"Yes, my oxygen supply has given me the confidence to keep it concealed." Says Kade's mom. I admire her optimism, but I’m not so sure.
……
Right now, there’s so much bad stuff happening that I’m finding it difficult to focus. “How are Troy and Kelly?” Asks Kade, directing my attention away from the marauding followers. “I’ll go check on them. I’ll be right back,” I say, kissing his head.
……
The worm like tendril that almost throttled Troy has loosened its grip. In fact, as I travel closer it appears – dead.
Troy is still lying on top of the corpse, with Kelly by his side stroking his hair, reassuringly. Despite Kelly’s proximity, I’m still reluctant to get any closer than arms length to this thing.
“It would appear that whatever these creatures are, they’re most definitely automizing.” Says Kade’s mom.
“What does that mean?” I ask.
She bends and peers closely at the thing, “They die after attack, in the same way a bee dies after stinging,” she says. She stands up, “Kelvin, please give Troy a little sedative and fix his tracheotomy incision,” she instructs.
