Coalescence (Camden Investigations Book 1) (8 page)

DJ is jolted by the spirit’s voice to the present.

“
Are you all right?
” DJ utilized a hamper to
return to her feet. She was uncertain if the ghost had implanted the visions
but also felt it was genuinely concerned for her welfare.

“I must be able to trust you. If we, my friends and I,
are to help . . . we must believe you are indeed here to help
us . . .”

“I can empathize with you. My race was betrayed. I am
only seeking justice against our shared enemy, a bug-like race that has
tormented your kind as it has ours. That is why it is imperative I save your
planet from our shared enemy to help me deal with what happened to my
friends . . .”

“How can you converse with me? I’m pretty sure your
native language is not English?”

“Some of my race has been among your people for many
centuries, as have our bug-like enemies. I came to your world to conduct covert
operations and reconnaissance missions. Basically, I was here to understand how
many of our enemy already walked among you. Once that was ascertained, I took
pre-emptive action. I utilized the object to protect your atmosphere from the
threat of a plague. You had a natural defense system, but it failed. The bug
ones have been in preparation to unleash this for many Earth
years—waiting for your defenses to fail. The decimation of both our races
from constant warring has made it difficult for them to accomplish this task.
Their resources only allow them one chance to poison your world. But you can be
sure they will take it. That is why you must find a way to integrate the
artifact with a natural resource on your planet. It will resurrect the
protection field . . .”

DJ scrubbed a hand over her forehead, immersed in deep
contemplation. If what this ghost was saying was true, she would have to
convince a hell of a lot of people to stand up against these bug aliens. She
would also have to come to terms and consider the man who had relations with
her mother was possibly part of this resistance. Well, at least if she was an
alien, she was a righteous one. But first of all she would have to clarify the
mission. “
So, we must do what you say for our own good. But what is this
natural resource? How are we supposed to find it? And why didn’t you utilize
this before instead of a satellite?”

“The natural resource I refer to is your best defense
against the toxic invasion. It had been utilized for years, but it failed.
Before I could remedy it, I was found out. A bug spy was ordered to execute me.
I did not have time to reconstitute the proper land-based defense system, so I
improvised and used a satellite. I knew in time it would fail. They caught me
as you might imagine. They tortured me and then they killed me. I vowed for
revenge in my last breaths. That’s why I kept myself on your planet in spirit
form for when this day arrived.”

“How did you know you were found out? Are you psychic”?

DJ believed the ghost laughed at her question—she
could not be certain.

“We do possess telepathic capabilities. But your friends
could not communicate with the dead like you do. I could have explained about
the time slip.
W
hy
it seemed like I was expelling them from the house. In truth, that was never
the intent, only the consequence of one of the artifact’s many capabilities. I
do feel you are different from them, but I cannot say what makes me feel this
way.”

“Will you agree to leave this house? We can converse
more. We can help you. But we need you to leave the occupants of this home
alone, especially because I don’t believe these are the type of people capable
of understanding your request.”

“I understand. I had hoped an investigative team would
take interest in the artifact. In fact, out of sheer desperation, I had counted
on it. In the meantime, I trust you will tell no one else about the artifact
and what it does except those close to you. I am only trusting you out of
better judgment and for lack of a better option.
I believe you humans would call it a gut feeling.

DJ agreed with a shrug, instructing the ghost she must
end communication for now. If not for severe fatigue, she would have continued.
There was a possibility the ghost was indeed playing with her, pretending to be
an alien and referencing a mere toy as a world-saving artifact. But DJ felt a
connection with the images. She was certain she had never witnessed a rainbow
fleet of men marching through a crowded square. Still, she felt a connection.
Something ingrained in her, possibly in her genetic makeup. If her mother was
correct and she was somehow alien, it would make sense that this investigation
was her destiny. She would demand this entity appear in apparition form at the
next meeting. DJ had to see what this spirit appeared like. It claimed to have
lived among humans for years. Was that just a false appearance? If so, would it
return to its natural form in death? And if it did, was this appearance an
alien one. More disturbingly, did DJ carry its likeness inside her genes?

T
HE TEAM
assembled back at the Camden home immediately
afterwards. Despite DJ’s exhaustion, she managed to field as many questions as
possible from them. Evan was absent, out at a 24-hour market obtaining
refreshments, the majority of them caffeine based. Yet the rest of the
investigators were awake as if it were morning, high on adrenaline rushes.

Gavin wanted to know what exactly the being meant by a
plague?

Darian wanted to know if DJ was okay and if she needed
anything.

Kassidy suggested they perform a test by placing the dial
in the path of the next OBOL they might encounter. Everyone agreed this was a
bad idea. Mitchell pointed at Kassidy’s near-empty bottle of vodka to add
emphasis.

Rachel wanted to temporarily acquire psychic abilities,
so she could meet the ghost.

Iris greeted Mitchell’s main concern with a punch to his
arm. He was worried the spirit might not be able to locate the Camden
residence. “Isn’t there some kind of telepathic guidance system for displaced
entities?” he asked.

Iris countered, “Isn’t there some kind of land-based
punishment system for smart-ass UFO hunters?”

Ultimately, DJ did
not fail to notice that Iris had been uncharacteristically quiet. Despite the
ghost’s claims, their acquisition of the dial and partial explanation of the
“time slip,” DJ feared Iris was dismissing the whole experience as one huge
hoax. DJ was certain this would be a mistake. The problem was she didn’t know
why.

E
VAN RETURNED
with drinks and food to
everyone’s delight, but his willingness to join the team disturbed Iris. She
was certain he had no doubt aliens existed. He had probably come to this
conclusion long before DJ made her connection with the ghost. Evan was a friend
of Mitchell’s, a devout believer, and she couldn’t conceive of Mitchell
befriending a skeptic. The lead investigator of the ghost hunters was well
aware DJ could read these feelings. She realized her continued doubt about an
alien presence might not only widen the existing rift between the teams, but
with DJ as well. She had, after all, coaxed DJ into aiding the effort to
confirm an extraterrestrial presence. Her younger sister had, and now Iris
still refused to believe it. Was it a good idea to fancy a relationship with
Mitchell who would probably never accept her skepticism about aliens?
Furthermore, was it a good idea to combine two investigative teams with such
varying views on the paranormal? Some believed in ghosts. Some believed in
aliens. Yet how many would believe in both?

Iris lifted her focus off Evan for a moment. She
perceived a wave of anger from DJ; it lingered long enough for her to ascertain
its root. It was ungratefulness. No surprise. She would have felt the same in
DJ’s position. She allowed a brief second of eye contact with her sister and
then let her eyes drop to the floor. What was she doing? Her father had warned
her about investigating aliens, but she’d fooled herself into believing DJ’s
return to the team would patch up emotional wounds. She now felt as if her
sister’s involvement might actually worsen relations in the family, if
possible. And to top it off, DJ was aiding Mitchell. She could see the renewed
energy in his eyes. He had probably been hoping for such a confirmation for years.
But for Iris, her younger sister’s conversation with a supposed alien ghost did
little to change her own stance. It just might be a human ghost out for
mischief. Still, it seemed like fact to Mitchell. He was ready to believe.

Evan shuffled drinks onto the kitchen table. Kassidy
spied a bottle of soda. “Oh good, you got Coke. It can keep my vodka company.”

Mitchell reached for a can but was reprimanded by Evan.
“Mitchell, how about some nice green tea?”

Mitchell cocked his head at Evan, doglike. Iris stifled a
laugh. Despite her anger and doubt, she wanted to get closer to this UFO
chaser. Just maybe she could change his mind, in time.

“So, Evan” Iris asked, “do you always take such interest
in your friend’s welfare?”

“Okay, you got me,” Evan answered. “I
do
have an
ulterior motive. I’ll be right back. I just need to get something else from my
car.” Iris just stared at him as he left the house.

Gavin interjected a comment, nonplussed by the awkward
moment. His eyes perused the screen of his laptop. “I’m looking at a site that
confirms a metallic ball was recently found in Africa. Maybe this isn’t the
first artifact to fall to the earth.”

“Have we established our object is really
extraterrestrial?” Rachel asked. She raised her thumb to her mouth as if tempted
to bite her nail.

“Good question,” Iris said.

DJ cleared her throat. “Weren’t you listening? The
presence told us as much.”

Iris pursed her lips. She wasn’t about to challenge her
sister in front of the teams.

Kassidy put an arm around DJ. “I think it’s too early to
draw conclusions. But DJ is one brave woman, no matter who she talked with.” DJ
gave Kassidy a sideway glance with a mocking pout.

Darian pulled out a chair and motioned for DJ to take a
seat. Iris believed DJ’s new admirer was attempting to melt some of the icy
attitudes in the room, but unfortunately he failed. His declaration confirmed
it. “There is no doubt about her bravery. But heroes need their rest.”

DJ accepted the offer of a seat with more awkwardness
than gracefulness. “I am not a hero, as Darian
boldly
states. But if I
am a judge of character, I will tell you I believe what our presence has to
say.” Iris wondered why her sister was so convinced.

Evan bounded back into the house with an easel under his
arm. “I hope I didn’t miss anything important.” Over six feet tall and
muscular, Evan had little problem assembling a foldout stand for the easel.

Kassidy whispered in Iris’s ear, “I thought scientists
were supposed to be frail and puny.”

“Down girl,” Iris whispered back. “Remember whose side
you’re on. You’re a ghost girl, not an alien chaser.”

Kassidy sipped her drink. “I can look and still be
objective.”

“Would you two like to share with the class?” Mitchell
asked.

“Yes,” Evan said, “we need input. Don’t be afraid of
offending Mitchell or myself. I don’t know everyone well enough to know their
stance on the subject. But I can say we’ve encountered a number of skeptics
over the years. We believe without doubt there are many planets supporting
life. In fact, the Keplar telescope has confirmed there are more than a few
habitable planets capable of sustaining liquid water. With water, life is
possible. Now, you may not believe extraterrestrial life forms have traveled to
our planet, but you cannot deny the existence of alien life. Skepticism does
not daunt me. It fuels my passion because for me, proving is passion.
Consequently, I don’t think it would be too much of a stretch to posit that
alien life might want to connect with us.”

Iris wondered what Mitchell had told Evan. Apparently,
he’d made her doubts known. “Yes, Evan. I would not argue with your initial
assumption. But why
would
they travel here? Why exactly would they want
to
connect
with us?”

Evan uncapped a marker and began writing on the easel.
“If you want me to make an educated guess, I would say resources.” He wrote the
word RESOURCES on the board.

“Yet,” Iris said, “DJ reports there is an alien race hell
bent on releasing a plague upon us. How does that relate to resources?”

Mitchell raised a hand. “It’s quite possible they will
take our resources after incapacitating us.”

“That sounds risky,” Rachel noted. “The plague might
affect those resources.”

Gavin turned his laptop so all could see a picture of the
crop circle. “We may be able to confirm that depending on what the lab tells us
about the affected corn. If the balls of light, or OBOLs, are somehow
extraterrestrial they may have intentionally destroyed the corn as some kind of
warning.”

“So, you believe,” Darian said, “that their message is a
threat. If the caduceus is representative of our collective health, the
decimation of the plants could just be the beginning. I think you might be onto
something.”

“I’m not sure,” Gavin responded. “I think Rachel has a
point. I think wiping us out will affect our food and water. Those are the two
main resources aliens may desire.”

“But if the OBOLs are extraterrestrial in origin, are
they here to help or hinder?” Mitchell added. “We need to determine if the
balls of light are allies.”

DJ intervened. “The presence believes the OBOLs created
the time slip in tandem with the object. So, even if the OBOLs are on our side,
it seems their very appearance comes with a serious side effect.”

“I think you all have made some valid points,” Evan said.
He continued scribbling key words of their arguments on the easel.

Iris grabbed a marker off the table. “May I?” she asked
Evan. He nodded.

She wrote three words: OBOLs, DIAL, and PRESENCE.

“As you can see, we have reason to believe in an alien
visitation. But we also have good reason to doubt it as well. The three sources
of information all appear tangible or what we may perceive to be as real. Yet
all three cannot be proved to have originated from another world.”

“I agree with Iris,” Evan said.

“You do?” Kassidy asked in a facetious tone. “I guess you
might have to if you believe in government, Evan. White House representatives
maintain there is no credible evidence to support an extraterrestrial presence
on earth. They say it’s just all statistics and speculation. But in your
defense, I must say I have my doubts if there is an actual intelligent presence
in the White House—be it worldly or otherworldly.” She tipped her glass
at him in mock salute.

“That’s why we need to experiment,” Evan responded. “I do
believe that DJ is a medium. I also believe spirits sometimes share our realm.
The problem I have with ghost hunting is that I wonder why just some of us can
speak with the dead. You know, I read that Harry Houdini may have been murdered
because he distrusted mediums. He argued they were all frauds. Some believe
this angered enough people to result in his death. Now, I don’t want to get the
Colorado Ghost Hunters perturbed enough to resort to violence. What I would
like to prove is that we all can—under the right
circumstances—commune with spirits, for real.” He ended his statement
with arms extended, palms facing up.

Iris folded her arms across her chest. She was more than
a bit miffed that this scientist knew how to charm. She had always believed
scientists were antisocial and awkward. She tried to pound her point home one
more time. “Even if you can do this, I must remind you it proves nothing to
substantiate the ghost’s claim of extraterrestrial origins.”

Mitchell tapped Iris on the shoulder and nodded. “I
suspect Evan is looking for a volunteer. I’d like to assist.”

“Oh, you can do more than assist, my friend—you can
be our test subject,” Evan said.

Evan explained that water could be used as a medium to
transmit thoughts. “Some believe spirits exist in water. I agree water could be
a vessel of data, of stored information. And, although I am still skeptical, I
do agree that one’s makeup, their genetic coding, might be able to be stored in
water. That point is at least arguable. And, because I’m a molecular
geneticist, I am intrigued by this theory.”

“Ah, a geneticist,” Kassidy said. “Those alien autopsies
must really rock your world.”

Evan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Back to the matter
at hand. The water, as I was saying, should be able to transmit brainwaves via
the spirit to DJ and then to Mitchell,
if
the theory is correct.”

“How do I fit in?” Mitchell asked.

“Can you show me your bathtub?” Evan asked Iris.

“T
HIS WILL
do nicely,” Evan said upon inspecting the tub.
It was an old-fashioned clawfoot tub. “I will be able to erect a Faraday cage
around this. It will limit the number of electromagnetic waves bombarding our
dear test subject. In turn, that should make it easier for DJ to transmit the
specific brainwave to Mitchell.”

The rest of the team had followed Evan, crowing around
the bathroom door to sneak a peek at what would become his makeshift lab.

“I gather I will be in the tub,” Mitchell said.

“Yes.” Evan answered. “You will be in the tub, submerged
under water.”

Mitchell cocked his head.

“Don’t worry, I’ll bring a snorkel. It’s how you will
breathe.”

E
VAN
SUGGESTED
everyone get some rest,
and the experiment would be conducted the next evening, DJ willing. She agreed
a bit too quickly for Iris’s liking, but Iris was more concerned about
Mitchell’s welfare than her sister’s.

Iris cornered Mitchell in the kitchen’s pantry after
everyone filed out to their vehicles.

“Do you know what you’re inviting?” Iris asked.

“I’m inviting proof of the existence of spirits.”

“You could be inviting a demonic possession. We still
don’t know if the entity is really an alien. DJ is strong enough psychically to
resist, but you’re not.”

“But DJ will be redirecting the spirit’s consciousness
through the water into my subconscious. I would think DJ could break the
connection if trouble arises.”

“You may right. But . . . you may be
wrong.
We don’t know. This is just an experiment.”

“That is what scientists do.”

“Why do you need to do this? You don’t believe my
sister?”

“I do. I sense
you
don’t believe your sister can
believe in aliens.”

“You are so single-minded. Damn it! This is not just
about proving alien or spiritual existence. How do I get through to you that
this might not such a good idea?”

“It
is
a good idea. Evan is a good scientist. He
wouldn’t put me in harm’s way. Besides, if I am communicating with the spirit via
my subconscious, I posit it would make it difficult for your new houseguest to
deceive me. From what Evan proposes, we will be communicating via imagery. I
should be able to see what the spirit sees.”

Iris shook her head. “That’s even if this works. I don’t
know about brainwaves. But I think it’s going to be really difficult for you to
home in on one specific wave.”

“I know. But I have every belief in your sister’s ability
to make that happen. She is the medium between the spirit world and our world.
The water will be a medium in which she can connect me to the other world. If
successful, it might give everyone a chance to communicate with their loved
ones. Who knows? We may even find Harry Houdini. I’ll bet he would be happy to
know your sister is not a fraud or a charlatan. That she’s the real thing.”