Prophet and the Blood March (Prophet of ConFree) (35 page)

"Excellent. Thank you, Big Boy."

"You're all going to die!" A hissing croak. D9, on the net. Bees. The Prof ignored her. He pulled a portable Q-link from his ratpack and activated it. "Delta Research calling Director. Come in, Director."

"This is the Director's office," a youthful voice answered.

"This is Delta Research's field commander, warname Professor, calling the Director-General. Please inform the DG that Delta Research has destroyed the former deflector tower on the asteroid Pacifica and installed a new one. The new deflector tower is now active and is guiding Pacifica away from Earth. The Pacifica mission is successful. Further details will be provided as soon as possible. Please confirm."

The youthful voice repeated the information accurately and thanked the Prof, then signed off.

"Done," the Prof said. "All done. Now let's see about Bees and Ice."

Back on Quaba, I did a lot of thinking. Mission successful, huh? I didn't think so. True, we had survived without any intervention by the Brights, which I considered a minor miracle, but the reasons for that were very murky. Things happen for a reason, and things don't happen for a reason. Where were the Brights? Who the hell were these malevolent spirits from D2 who were evidently guarding the original Pacifica deflector? And why were they doing so? The Brights certainly didn't need any help from them.

Pacifica continued towards Earth. Our new deflector was slowly nudging it onto a new course, and, barring further intervention, it would shoot past Earth with plenty of room to spare.

I didn't give a damn about that. I was focused one hundred percent on our casualties – Bees and Ice. They were down and out. And it was like two bleeding scars on my heart. They were ours – Delta troopers, Delta souls, Delta hearts – and they were under attack by the enemy.

On the star run home, Ice and Bees were both cuffed, and held in separate cells in the brig. We spent a lot of time observing them and questioning them. It was clear that something was seriously wrong, and that the girls were not quite themselves. Brainscans only confused matters further.

When we finally arrived home at Delta Research, our pet wolf Blackie greeted us joyfully with tail wagging, then screeched to a halt and went crazy barking and snarling at both Bees and Ice. He was clearly warning us these were enemies. He did not attack them but circled them warily, bristling and howling and barking and snapping at them. He was enraged.

Δ

Two days later Ice was still possessed, but was fighting. We had strapped her into a brainscan couch in an isolation room, fully restrained. The brainscans revealed only chaos within, but we kept her there as we worked on her. Doctor Dorak was now our best hope. I shuddered at that. Dorak was a young, intense ghost enthusiast who was perhaps the galaxy's foremost specialist on Dimension Two. He had originally been a consultant to us on other dimensions, but had been let go when his talents did not appear relevant to our task of chronological viewing. And also because he was exceptionally ding-a-ling.

"This is wonderful," he said enthusiastically, his face twitching in excitement. Dorak was a pale, slight young man with long scraggly hair and a formal tie half open around his neck. "She is under attack by a malevolent spirit from D2. But she's fighting hard. She must be very strong! This is an intruding psychic parasite that has no intention of leaving. It feasts on the mental energy of its victims, spreading like cancer and ultimately taking total possession of mind and body."

We were standing around Ice, the Prof and Ice's husband Kwan and me and Dorak. Ice strained at her restraints. She was pale and her brow was beaded with sweat.

"As a reminder, Doctor," the Prof said. "The reason you are here is to ensure that doesn't happen." I knew the Prof had his own doubts about Dorak.

"Oh, it's not going to happen, Professor. You hear that, parasite? This is Doctor Dorak. You know me, don't you, you creepy little worm? We're going to burn you right out of your host. And you're going to run back to hell like a coward, shrieking like a girl, aren't you? Yes, we know you're a coward, a dead coward, hiding inside a real person because you're just a fraud, no brain, no body, a failed, dead soul, just hatred and hunger. Answer me, you piece of mental shit! Answer me!"

Ice shrieked, face contorted, twisting in her restraints, rising partially off the couch, spraying sweat. "I am here!" A hoarse, cracked voice. "She's mine! Die, Dorak! Your heart burns and stops!" Ice snarled and showed bloody teeth.

"You bastard!" Kwan exclaimed. "You coward! Come out of there and face us! Leave her alone!"

Dorak was hunched over, clutching at his chest. Then he slowly straightened up, twitching and sweating. "You think your pitiful mind tricks work on me?" he asked. "You're a worm! Taste God!" He made a quick gesture and a burst of liquid splattered over Ice. Ice let out a blood-curdling shriek, an agonized, wild howl from the depths, and frantically struggled with her restraints. Her skin hissed smoke everywhere the droplets hit. Blood appeared as the restraints cut into her skin.

"It's holy water, parasite! Holy water from the Christian Church, blessed by a priest of God. Hurts, doesn't it? It will purify this poor soul, and burn you out like the unwanted parasite you are. Tell Satan we're still here! You thought you had exterminated the church, didn't you, the Christian Church and all who believed, and all nations who believed. But you didn't. You just drove us underground! We're still here – that's the message for Satan. You've failed! All that effort, all that subversion, all that conquest, all those years, all those zombie brainwashed victims, billions of them, and all for naught. God speaks! Taste more, you foul, unspeakable, dead excrement!" And he threw another burst of holy water on Ice, from a little vial. She screamed again, from the very soul, thrashing around out of control. Her skin hissed and smoked and sizzled from the holy water.

"Stop it! Stop it! I can't stand it!" Kwan tackled Dorak violently and they fell to the deck and the Prof and I dragged Kwan from the room.

Dorak got up shakily and then went back to Ice. As the Prof and I were dragging Kwan away from the scene, I could hear Dorak. "Want more, parasite? Want more? I'll pour it right down her throat until you choke on it! Begone, coward! God has you by the throat! Tell your master Satan he is doomed! God is coming for him, with all his angels! And nobody is afraid of him any more. Nobody!"

I was shaking. My heart was pounding. I had thought Dorak was just a little loony-tunes ghost enthusiast trying to make a living out of something nobody was interested in. Man, was I wrong!

Δ

"Don't worry about Ice," Dorak said. "She'll be fine. The thing is still in her, but I'll drive it out. Ice is fighting it. Sometimes she speaks to me, herself, and screams at the parasite to get out. She's tough as nails. But Bees – this is different." We were standing before Bees' isolation room, looking in through the one-way portal, Dorak and Prof and I and Scout and Arie. And I was now listening to what Dorak said with a great deal of respect, and interest. "You see, these creatures enter someone through vulnerable gateways – that is, personal weaknesses that can be exploited by evil. If you are armed with the armor of a strong faith, or a strong love, or strong links to a band of brothers or sisters who share your faith, it is harder to penetrate such a person. But never impossible. Nobody is free of sin, nobody is an island, nobody is invulnerable to Satan and his filthy minions. Both Ice and Bees are strong, courageous, and well-armed against Satan. Bees is practically an emissary of God, a White Hand knight, driven by pure faith. She speaks to God every day. That's why I am particularly worried about her. Whatever has possessed her body and soul must be a particularly strong and evil creature. Because she is a particularly strong agent of God. But she appears to be totally under control of the creature." He peered into the room where Bees was strapped tightly to the brainscan table. She was silent, panting, looking around the room with sullen eyes.

"I'm sorry, Scout, but we cannot let you in there," the Prof said. "Kwan went crazy watching Doctor Dorak work on Ice, and we don't think it would be wise to allow you to view the proceedings. I'd like you to know that I have total confidence in Doctor Dorak. He knows what he is doing. He's going to get Bees back for us."

"Scout," Dorak said. "I'd like to learn more about anything that may have been troubling Bees in the period leading up to the mission to Pacifica, or just before the mission. She has so much faith in God, and love, both for you and for Ice and for Delta. I've learned that much. I'd like to learn how this evil parasite penetrated her defenses, which appear exceptionally strong. And I believe you can tell us that if anyone can."

"Yes," Scout replied in a low voice. "She didn't seem the same, on the star trek to Pacifica. She was clearly worried. And she had stopped praying. That was very unusual. I asked, and she told me. She was terrified that Saka's vision of Pacifica, and Prophet's vision of the asteroid striking Earth, might turn out to be true after all. And that we would end up fighting the Brights. That scared her. The Brights were angels, she kept saying, and we couldn't fight Heaven. Also, the Brights had saved her life, and Ice's, and Saka's. She owed them everything. How could she fight them? She was hoping that we would show up there and, once again, find nothing. But she didn't know what to do. She stopped praying because she was afraid anything that happened would be God's will, and she didn't know how to deal with it if she was to end up opposing God. When we arrived and found the deflector was there, just as Saka had foretold, she was cast into a black mood and I could hardly get a word out of her. She was so worried. I've never seen her like that before."

"I see," Dorak said. "I see. She was confused, her faith was wavering, and her defenses were down – way down. That helps. Thank you, Scout. Thank you very much. Now I can attack this thing."

Δ

We entered Bees' isolation room cautiously, me and Dorak and the Prof and Arie. Arie was there for the extra muscle, just in case things went bad. The air was horrible in that room – heavy, brooding, hot and evil. And it stunk. Bees watched us with eyes of hate, but it wasn't Bees. It was the creature. Bees was filthy, vomit splattered everywhere, blood leaking from her mouth.

"What's your name, worm?" Dorak asked.

Bees spat at Dorak, black spittle, then the creature spoke, in a cracked, hoarse hiss. "Kneel before me, mortal, and despair. You are doomed!"

"No name?" Dorak replied. "So you are one of those nameless slaves who crawl around on your belly doing Satan's will, right? Oh and by the way, I'm not mortal. We are all immortal. Unlike you, who is dead."

"I am the mighty serpent Galistos, who lives forever in the world of the dead!" the creature screeched. "Bow down before me, all of you, or I will kill all whom you love. You Prof, your beloved daughter Carol will burst into flames. You Prophet, your Honeyhair will die in agony. You, Nitro, Blondie's heart will cease beating. Kneel before my glory or they die! And you Dorak – who shall I kill for you?" My heart was hammering. Honeyhair! The creature could read our minds. What might it do to Honeyhair?

Dorak walked over to stand right next to Bees. "Oh, I love you Galistos, you are such a mighty serpent. You're the one I love. So kill yourself! Galistos, huh? No, I think we'll just call you Worm. I know all your secrets."

Bees screamed, thrashing around violently against her bonds, spraying blood. "Die, Dorak!"

Dorak stood there quietly. "No, I don’t believe I shall, Worm. Instead, we'll talk about you. You’re not a mighty serpent, you're just a slithering, cowering worm, a slave. A slave of Satan. And you're not fearsome at all. You're a coward. Hiding just like the parasite worm you are, inside a heroic, courageous woman who hates you and all you stand for. Do you know she is protected by God? Oh, yes, we know all about God. Troubling, isn’t it? Are you getting scared yet, coward Worm?"

"There is no God! God is dead! Satan killed him!"

"God is alive. He is right in this room." Dorak pulled something that he had concealed under his jacket. It was a large golden cross – a simple cross, clean and shining, bereft of ornamentation. No! There was something else – the tiny figure of a man, affixed to the crosspiece. What the hell?

"It’s a crucifix, Worm. And it's all for you." The creature was silent. Bees was frozen in place.

"But first we purify the body. Bees, we're going to burn this filthy parasite right out of you. It's going to hurt, but when we're through, it will be gone."

"She is mine, Dorak! She no longer exists! I raped her soul! I killed her! She serves Satan now!"

Dorak touched Bees on the forehead, chin, and cheeks and as his fingers touched her the flesh burnt, hissing and smoking. "In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, protect this faithful innocent from all harm," Dorak intoned. Bees shrieked. I could hear the flesh sizzling. Then Dorak carefully placed the entire crucifix on Bees, the crosspiece resting on her face, the vertical shaft on her chest. The instant it touched her, she screamed in agony and her face sizzled and blistered and her clothing smoldered and caught fire. The crucifix was glowing radiant golden light – as if it were alive.

"Attention, Worm! God touches you. How do you like it, Worm? Are you comfy in there?"

"I will kill her!" the creature snarled. Bees began thrashing wildly in her bonds, shrieking and gasping. Dorak kept the crucifix affixed to her body. It was smoking now, glowing red-hot.

"Yes, Dorak," the creature snarled. "You kill her outside and I kill her inside. I'll burn her heart out!"

"Parasite! Coward parasite! Would you destroy your own home? Where will you go, coward? Bees, do you hear me? Bees! Bees!" He fell to his knees by her side, continuing to press the crucifix against her body, now clutching one of her hands with his own. "Pray with me, Bees! You know this prayer! Pray and let God expel this filthy intruder. 'Saint Michael the Archangel defend us in this day of battle, be our safeguard against the wiles and wickedness of the devil…'"