Defenders of Earth (Book 2 of the Keepers Trilogy)

Chapter 24

Once again, I'm completely useless.

All I can do is watch as the three of them putter around with the tank. Callie still looks uncomfortable with the plan, but she follows along. I think she just wants to be involved for once, no matter what.

Me, I'm just sitting in a swivel chair, twisting back and forth in boredom.

While the tank fills with water, the scientist hands Callie a plain, black bathing suit. Callie holds it up and frowns. "This does not look right."

"It's for privacy," the scientist explains. "So you don't have to be naked."

"Yes, but, um..." Callie struggles with the words. "On Azera, this would be, uh- I don't feel comfortable wearing something this-it's not...appropriate."

"It's actually fairly modest," I say. "You should see how 'not appropriate' they can get."

Callie's face is red. "This is not appropriate enough. I mean, this would be..."

It finally clicks in my head why she's so hesitant. "Are you saying that's like lingerie for aliens?" I question. "I didn't even think they'd have that."

"Don't put it on if you don't feel comfortable," the scientist advises. "Especially if it's that provocative in your culture. I don't think we have anything more modest, though."

Callie drops the bathing suit quickly. "I'll go in my clothes, even. Just not something that is associated with, um...yeah." She giggles awkwardly.

"Here, then." The scientist hands her blue scrubs. "Go in there, get changed while I set up."

Callie pushes open the door where the scientist got the scrubs and shuts it hard once inside.

"Is there anything I can do?" I ask.

"Yeah, load the local news site, play whatever's live," the scientist says as she types away at a keyboard. The tank begins to fill with water. I twist in the swivel chair to face the computer and type in the website. It loads quickly, despite the snow and the lab's location (Good internet doesn't seem to exist in Pennsylvania). I click on the breaking news- GROUP OF UNKNOWN SPECIES ARMED AND DANGEROUS IN HAWLEY.

A video with the word LIVE stamped in a red box plays. "-is unclear where these invaders have come from," the news anchor states. "It has been confirmed by the military, however, that these are extraterrestrial. No, this is not a joke. They are bona fide aliens. Two have been captured and taken for examination." The anchor pauses and moves her hand towards her ear. "Oh my- we have just gotten word of a space craft of unknown origin has landed in the Outback. I-from what I'm hearing, this could be connected to the events in Pennsylvania-"

"That's Simon," Callie says. "That's his ship-well, not his ship, he stole it from a top secret lab, but he's using it now. There are probably thousands of humans in there, all hypnotized."

"How do you keep that-" I gesture to the screen- "top secret?"

"I don't know," she admits. There are electrodes on the back of her neck and throat. Her hair is pulled back in a tiny pony tail, and strands keep falling out. Her face is pale, very pale. "I'm scared, to be honest. The fact that he's here, right now-"

"He's on the other side of the globe," the scientist says reassuringly.

"He traveled from the other side of the galaxy in three months," she points out. "The other side of the globe is no problem for him. I mean, unless he ran out of gas. That might buy us a little time."

"Let's hope that thing doesn't run on Vegemite," the scientist says, strapping a snorkel like contraption over Callie's nose and mouth. "That will provide air while you're submerged. Are you ready?"

Callie nods and inhales deeply. The scientist places dark goggles over her eyes and helps her into the tank. She sinks somewhat, but the salt keeps her buoyant. Loose strands of hair float around her, and the scrub shirt billows out slightly. She gives up a thumbs up before completely relaxing into the water. She looks peaceful.

Then Azudus taps something into the computer and her head snaps back. She twitches and twists back and forth in her saline womb. The peacefulness is gone, replaced by disturbance and terror.

Then her entire body relaxes. She clenches her fists quickly, loosens them. The computer monitoring her vitals shows a fast heartbeat that slowly settles. Azudus watches this before typing in something else.

The results are more harrowing to watch-and more bizarre. Callie seems to almost flicker, like when she fell down the stairs. The electrodes sink lower with every flash. The water sloshes as she shakes. Her eyes twitch and flutter, and all I can see are the whites. After several seconds that felt like several minutes, it's over. Her body still twitches, but it's still visible. 

The scientist stares in wide-eye fear. She opens her mouth to say something, then shuts it. "Is-is she is pain?" she finally asks.

"I don't know," I admit hesitantly. "I saw this once before, but she didn't seem to be-she fell down the stairs and didn't even notice." 

"I am unsure, but I think she may be experiencing the flashback," Azudus says. "I would know more, if I had ended up on Azera as planned." 

"I'm getting her out of there," the scientist states. "She's done. She's not doing anymore." 

She types in the buttons to open and drain the tank. Callie climbs out, yanks the snorkel off, and lays gasping next to the tank. Salt water puddles around her as she lifts her head up. "You are a bastard," she sputters at Azudus, who takes a step back. I don't blame him. Callie is glaring at him with such force that would make Genghis Khan cower. "I wish you saw what I did, what you put me through." She spits some words out in Azeran. 

Azudus blinks slowly, then offers a hand to Callie. She shoves it away and sits up on her own. Azudus crouches next to her and speaks softly in her native language. She responds with an angry tone, and in the middle of her spiel, she sniffles and her voice hitches. She's crying, I think. Whatever she saw, it wasn't pretty. I think it had to do with Azudus. I feel it in my gut.

And I know my gut is never wrong.