Coalescence (Camden Investigations Book 1) Page 8

  At a podium, a being in full black garb addresses a throng of followers. They cheer at his every pause. She cannot understand what he is saying because it is either a foreign or alien language. But she feels this being is diametrically opposite his followers. He is solid, and they are opaque.

  A small ship that looks like it came from a science fiction movie lifts off a boost pad. Thousands of beings watch on deserted streets with tears in their eyes. They have mixed feelings: hope and despair, conquest and civility, right and wrong.

  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. Why 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?

  THE 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.

  Chapter Eight

  EVAN 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 investiga
ting 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 i
n 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.

  “THIS 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.”

  EVAN 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.