LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 16: Breathe
Tessa decided to try to distract herself from the existential dread in her gut with… well, anything.
Thankfully, there was a lot to distract her. Specifically the fact that about half of the downtown skyline was missing.
“What happened…”
“He started it,” the Entity said.
Tessa turned to stare at the Entity. She had no idea how to process that when connected to such incredible property damage. Beyond downtown, it looked like a large chunk of the North End was also smouldering. Sections of the landscape itself had collapsed.
“Well, I doubt your superiors will be happy with this,” she heard Agent Lee say behind her.
Turning, Tessa saw Doctor Montgomery doing her best to consume a cigarette in a single breath. The American doctor held the smoke in for a moment before releasing a cloud of it.
“I suppose not,” she replied. “May set my career back a bit.”
“A whole city has been destroyed and that’s your concern?” Tessa said, waving her arms in stress.
“Should I vapourize her before she causes more problems?” the Entity asked.
“I sincerely doubt that that will be necessary,” Agent Lee replied. “There is only so much trouble that she can cause from the inside of a cell.”
“A cell?” Dr. Montgomery replied with a slight laugh. “The Pentagon pulled me out of one of those when they hired me. And they’re not likely to let Ottawa have me either. Nor does this country have the guts to fight that. You’ll need American money to pay to rebuild this little city. Plus, you’ll probably be buying billions in military hardware. Now that people are going to be scared of alien invasion.”
“It is not the Canadian nor American governments that concern you, doctor,” Agent Lee said. “You must remember that Garcelle Lefèvre may have Permanent Residency in Canada, but her citizenship belongs to another nation. One with nuclear weapons and a habit of disagreeing with Washington… is that not right ‘Agent Dupont’?”
“You could tell?” another agent asked.
“Terms such as ‘le weekend’ are firmly slang of l’Hexagone. Québécois anglicismes are generally more creative in their abuse of both languages,” Agent Lee replied.
“What are you on about?” Dr. Montgomery asked.
The ‘agent’ produced an identification which he flipped open to reveal he was an agent with the DGSE. “I am here under the authority of the President of the Republic to take you into custody and bring you to trial at the Hague for unethical experimentation on human subjects.”
A number of other agents follow his lead by showing similar badges.
“Annoying, but you’ll note my sailors still have you outnumbered,” Dr. Montgomery replied.
The Entity cleared its throat and floated into the air, pulling all eyes to it. “I recommend cooperating.”
The eyes of most of the American sailors filled with fear. A number raised their hands in surrender and the rest then followed.
Dr. Montgomery took another drag from her cigarette before swearing under her breath. Then she accepted the handcuffs.
“You’re risking war by doing this,” she said, a cigarette still dangling from her lip. “The United States does not recognise the Hague’s right to try its citizens.”
“I rather think the general public will be more concerned about aliens destroying a city,” Dupont (or whatever his name really was) replied.
Dr. Montgomery narrowed her eyes, but said nothing further. The Frenchman then turned to the Entity.
“Le gouvernement Français veut vous offrir un emploi, Madame Lefèvre,” the man said.
“Non, merci,” the Entity replied, before lowering back to earth and taking Tessa’s hand.
The French agent gave Tessa a quick once over and nodded. He then turned, the agents loyal to him leading Dr. Montgomery to one of the cars sitting nearby. Tessa was about to wonder where they were taking her when she heard the sound of a vessel in the harbour behind them. Turning around, she saw a submarine had just surfaced. One with a French flag on the side of it.
That was certainly one way to pick up a prisoner.
“Ottawa is also willing to offer you employment,” Agent Lee said as the French drove off.
The Entity shook its head. “No. Governments can not have my power. If there is a natural disaster or similar risk to people, then you may call me. But I will not engage in politics.”
“That is unfortunate, but understandable,” Lee replied. “We may need to discuss security matters, however. After this it i—”
The Entity held up its hand, cutting him off. “Later.”
It then turned, scooping Tessa up before taking off into the air. Tessa let out a yelp, still quite unused to this. At least she could distract herself from the height they were at by paying attention to all the damage. The city looked like it had been through an earthquake, or maybe a war. Several office towers downtown had collapsed, falling over to smash into other buildings and cover the roads. Other parts of the city were pockmarked with craters. The largest one looked about a kilometre wide, most of the shopping centres in the North End being ruined by it.
Their apartment building and a few blocks around it seemed relatively undamaged, at least. Not that it was the only area standing. Outside of downtown there were probably more buildings standing than not… but there was still more than enough damage to be concerning.
The Entity lowered itself to outside their apartment, before dusting aside the remains of a broken window. Apparently the shockwaves of the battle had still done some damage, even if the buildings were still standing.
They slipped in through the window and the Entity put Tessa down on the couch, before it started to kiss her. The kisses were passionate and hungry. Tessa felt rather overwhelmed by it all, and had to nudge the Entity away.
“What is wrong, chérie?”
“I—it’s just… well.. I have a lot to process right now,” Tessa said. “I… I died, didn’t I? And now… I… my body isn’t my body, is it?”
“It’s yours?” the Entity replied.
“Well, it’s mine now. But it isn’t the one I woke up with this morning,” she replied, waving aimlessly at the room.
How was anyone supposed to process that?
“Human bodies replace all their atoms multiple times during one’s lifespan,” the Entity replied simply.
“Not stolen from the person who murdered them, though,” Tessa said, pulling her legs up to hug them.
“Are you unhappy?”
“I… I am happy to be alive,” Tessa replied. “I ju—I just need a bit of time to process the way in which I’m alive. It’s a lot to take in.”
“I think I know what will help,” the Entity said, getting up and drifting over to the kitchen. It then opened the freezer, only to stare in silence. “The… la crème glacée… it melted.”
Tessa looked up, noticing the clocks on the stove and microwave were both off. “I—I think the power is out. After your fight.”
The Entity turned around, eyes filling with sadness. “I do not know what to do for you, then, chérie…”
“I think a hug would be good for now.”
The Entity nodded and floated over to snuggle against her. Tessa began to cry, but assured the Entity it was part of processing everything, not that she was upset with it.
Blinking, Agent Lang looked around. She was on the side of a highway. Somewhere flat, with only the slightest hills rolling in the distance. While it didn’t make much sense, she decided there was nothing to it but to follow the highway.
It had been a couple days since her—since… something. Her brain felt like a bit of a blur. She tried to push through it, and felt there were flashes of something. Exhaustion and fear. Strange figures. A cell.
Nothing she could understand just yet, however.
And so she walked.
Eventually, as her feet were starting to hurt (she was wearing rather basic shoes, as grey as the shapeless clothing that covered the rest of her) she reached what seemed to be a small truck stop. There was a convenience store and a restaurant in one building, as well as a motel that had a rather handmade quality about the wall angles.
She ignored the buildings as best she could to go to the payphone. She saw it was a Canadian telecom company. With instructions written in English and French on it. Though someone had scribbled a rude comment over the French part.
Lang dialed for a collect call to a CSIS agents’ assistance number. The phone operator on the other end was as confused as she was by her foggy memories and uncertainty about her location.
She nearly dropped the phone when she found out she was in Manitoba. Hadn’t she been on the East Coast?
The operator told her to wait, and that someone would be along to pick her up within two hours. Nothing better to do, she then went over to the restaurant. She planned to eat slowly, delaying until another agent showed up to pay for her meal.
However, entering the restaurant, her eyes were drawn to the large television behind the bar. The few patrons and staff present were all hovering around it. Staring at the videos being played. Short clips of glowing beings battling it out over a city… Halifax, in fact. The clips were nearly all blurry, and generally showed fighting well above the city. There was one that seemed to be filmed on an impressive zoom lens from across the harbour, showing tiny specks ripping through the city’s downtown as dark storm clouds built overhead. And then there was one filmed on a shakey phone showing the Entity close up as well as the opponent. A massive humanoid effectively declaring himself to be an alien for all to hear.
The coverage then switched to a reporter and an anchor. Both seemed to be bouncing the same sparse information back and forth. Aliens were real. The general public now knew it without a shadow of a doubt now.
Sure, the cover for the Entity had been haphazardly slapped together. A house of cards that would fall apart if anyone sneezed. It had, however, covered up the concept of alien civilizations. Now, though…
“I need to buy gas,” one of the patrons whispered.
A comment that seemed to break the spell on all the others, who scrambled out of the restaurant, rushing to their cars and trucks. Even the employees left.
Unsure what else to do, Agent Lang sat down at one of the tables. She decided to stare at the fishtank while wondering how the world was going to react.
Tessa listened to the waves of the ocean crashing against the beach as she enjoyed an ice cream cone with the Entity. The sand was warm under her feet as she did her best not to crush the delicate waffle cone. Her new strength, gained from what (she insisted on the term ‘what’ rather than ‘who’) her new body was made out of, was still taking some getting used to. As well as the way her senses were stronger, which did, at least, make the taste of the ice cream extra delicious.
“So, is it helping?” the Entity asked.
“The… the ice cream?”
The Entity nodded.
“Well, I suppose it’s nice, but… I think taking me down here to see my parents and having them tell me I’m still me has done rather more than the ice cream,” Tessa said, turning her head to look back at the Freetown beachfront behind them.
“But the ice cream is helping, oui?”
“Well, yes. The ice cream is nice,” Tessa replied.
The Entity smiled to itself.
Tessa took its hand and then relaxed, listening to the sounds of the water. The ocean didn’t care that the world had changed. The waves weren’t worried about the proof that alien civilizations existed. That humanity was far from alone in the universe.
No, the ocean kept up the behaviour that had suited it for the last four billion years. A level of certainty and unchanging stability she’d always liked.