Ascension (24 page)

If it wasn't for Walter and his vast medical knowledge, he too afflicted with such similar ailments, she believed that living would be almost impossible. But even with his talents, they were not enough to rid her of all the pain, especially after she'd used up so much of her celestial energy.

She hobbled along and leaned against the utility, her breathing laboured. Inside, she could hear Katherine consoling Naomi; telling her about the organisation's struggles with the Corrupted, of her father's untimely death, and all about her recent experiences as part of the
Project
. Much to her surprise, she also heard Naomi in turn share with her what had transpired at the party. Katherine leapt down from the utility and walked along the footpath.

“Monica…, how long have you been standing there?” Katherine asked upon her passing.

“Not long, have we learned anything useful?”

“I have, I was just heading your way now,” Katherine replied.

“Excellent, I can then introduce you,” she said, as they hurried along the footpath and toward a large surveillance trailer. “We have a special guest.”

Once they reached the trailer, Monica carefully parted its back doors and guided Katherine up into the light. The vehicle's interior was well equipped: survival articles of food and water were stored in excess about the space, copious supplies and medical apparatus had been stalled above in overhead compartments, and computer monitors lined the surrounding walls for surveillance purposes, according with the organisation's own satellite feed. Gazing up at a screen, she saw Walter that was seated before an elaborate control panel covered with countless inputs, nobs and keys. There was another woman next to him, someone Monica assumed Katherine would be somewhat familiar with, for she'd regularly appeared in local news. This woman: dressed in black and with long wavy locks of grey hair, sat holding a lit cigar in her fingertips. Upon their entry, she looked back at Monica and Katherine curiously.

“So, you must be Ms Munroe. The family resemblance is uncanny,” the woman said, as she raised the cigar to her lips and drew in the smoke.

“Katherine, this here is Senator Margaret Gates,” Monica introduced them. “She wants to know if you've learned anything more –

“- If you please Monica, I'm more than capable of questioning the girl myself,” the Senator interrupted, her voice hoarse. “Now Katherine, I trust the organisation has treated you well? They've provided you with sufficient explanation to many, if not all your questions?”

“Yes Ma'am,” Katherine responded. “I believe so.”

“And of your winged guardian…, Anzu is it? How has he fared with the transition back into our organisation's ranks?” The Senator asked in earnest, tapping away the ash from the end of her cigar.

Its remarkable she hasn't keeled over yet with how much she smokes,
Monica pondered, her eyes on the cigar the Senator held.
How wonderful it must feel; to have such a guardian with mind altering capabilities where she can convince one's senses there is no crippling pain.

“With less difficulty than I,” Katherine admitted in response to the Senator's question. “It's taken me a while to adjust.”

“As I'd fathom it would for anyone if placed within similar circumstances,” the Senator responded.

She soon after heard the popping of an aluminium lid, accompanied by the cheerful chirping of a most delicate and innocent nature. Having stepped out from behind a small stack of supply crates, an elfish figure skipped toward the Senator, grasping a recently opened soda can. The petite sprite glanced up at her through its dark beady eyes with a playful grin.

“This is Kishar,” the Senator said. “And she is my guardian.”

The spirit was small enough that she could sit in the palm of a hand, which is exactly what she did. She leapt up onto the Senator's open palm and sat there, peacefully sipping soda and swishing it about in her tiny mouth.

“You mean to tell me that you're also an Indigo…?” She heard Katherine stammer.

“That is correct,” said the Senator. “Along with Walter, I am one of those from the
Project's
first generation that still remain.”

“I'm sorry sir, I had no idea that you also used to be an Indigo.”

“Yes, this older gentleman used to be quite the young and dashing hero in his day,” the Senator responded.

Walter blushed. “Thanks Margaret…, but this is hardly the time to reminisce.”

Monica watched as Katherine crept forward to take a closer look at Margaret's guardian.

“She's beautiful,” she heard Katherine say. “She's like a fairy from fable.”

The spirit visibly paused upon hearing the word
‘fairy'
uttered; she spat out the soda with disgust, and growled at Katherine through clenched teeth.

“Did I say something wrong?” Katherine questioned, startled.

“For centuries people have referred to Kishar by that title. Kishar believes that it invokes an unfair connotation of frailty,” the Senator replied, as she stroked her hand gently though the sprite's dainty antennae.

One can hardly blame them for thinking that,
Monica believed, for she wasn't particularly threatening upon first impression, regardless of how often she bared her little fangs.

“She seems to really like the soda.”

“She has a real sweet tooth. However, I do find it at times a little disconcerting; I've yet to find out if all the sugar has any detrimental effects on her health,” said the Senator, before she herself wheezed.

Perhaps you should be worrying about your own health,
thought Monica, as she watched the Senator cough up phlegm into a handkerchief.

“It looks like she's finished with that can, shall I get her another?” Monica offered.

The Senator nodded, extinguishing of her cigar “I believe it only fair to reward her efforts; she's had a busy night. You have done very well my guardian. Rest easy.”

“It was fortunate that you arrived at the scene when you did…, this could very well have proven most disastrous for the
Project
,” said Monica, as she passed Kishar a can of soda.

“Most disastrous…? There are reports of numerous civilian casualties. And if this wasn't bad enough, we now have thirteen students that lie comatosed in the back of Government Issue utilities. Soon I'll have to front up to my peers about the countless reports of our failure in preventing these recent attacks.”

“Yes, but fortunately now we've someone who's witnessed the attacks and could prove a potential lead to finding the whereabouts of more powerful Corrupted,” Walter said, his gaze resting on Katherine.

The Senator looked at Katherine. “That's if we can get this Ms Miller to speak.”

“She spoke of a winged demon…, said Katherine, having received an approving nod from Monica to share with them what she'd learned. “It soared in through the window and started to feed on the other students. She had said the other students appeared blind to this Corrupted's movements, and she was the only one who could see it. She then ran for it, out the front door and into the street.”

“Did the corrupted not follow her?” Monica questioned, aware of what Naomi had already told her. “And how did she get away?”

“This is where it gets confusing…,” Katherine responded, stumbling with her words. “She said the Corrupted just decided to stop following her, but it threatened to return once it had finished with the rest.”

As Monica listened to Katherine's retelling of the nights' events, she came to realise that Katherine was attempting to conceal from them some of what Naomi had said. And it wasn't the least bit surprising that Margaret, given her vast experience and celestial bond, also knew of this.

“There's something you've purposefully neglected to tell us,” said Margaret, her bright green eyes fixed on Katherine. “I know that you wish to protect Ms Miller so that she doesn't become involved, but we must know everything in order to ensure of her safety.”

Katherine glanced back awkwardly at the Senator, and then diverted her eyes to Monica. Monica nodded back at her. “She spoke of hearing voices; and that one strange voice in particular kept calling out her name. This voice had told her to run, to keep running, and to not look back.”

“So not only has the girl started to ascend, but there has been a potential guardian following her,” said Walter, reaching for a handkerchief and rubbing at his spectacles. “We've suspected this might be the case for some time now. Still, what we hadn't anticipated was that this guardian had actually tried to make contact.”

“What do you intend to do with her?” Katherine questioned, panicked.

“Kishar shall wipe her memories of what she'd witnessed,” the Senator affirmed, removing another cigar from her jacket pocket. “You see, Kishar is a spirit of the moon. And her innate ability is to infiltrate and manipulate the minds of others. There's little reason to be concerned. It is a relatively safe procedure, which will only alter her most recent memories so that she remembers something more manageable.”

Although what the Senator had said was largely true, Monica knew there was always a chance that the little guardian might stray too far into a subject's thoughts and cause irreparable damage.

As Katherine grew more apprehensive, Monica speculated about the thoughts that were cycling through the young woman's mind. Since the conflict with the earthen Corrupted, Katherine had questioned how the organisation intended to preserve its secrecy, and now on learning this revelation, it must now make more sense to her. For Monica knew that it was within the scope of Kishar's power to alter the memories and perceptions of the masses, and so Katherine would be right to anticipate such an act might indeed be possible. Nevertheless, Monica also knew this was no easy task, and that there would always be cause for concern. For she'd become aware that the little sprite would often find herself pushed to the brink of physical and mental exhaustion. And when this guardian found herself severely fatigued, she was prone to make mistakes.

“To alter the minds of so many…, Katherine responded, mumbling with her words. “How do you know that by doing this, you won't cause any further damage?”

“It would be a lie to say that such a deed is not risk-free, but we've little choice,” the Senator replied, lighting her second cigar. “But I wouldn't worry about your friend; a single mind at one time is far more manageable.”

Monica could tell that the Senator's words brought Katherine little comfort. And she could relate to that, for she'd often found herself in debate with the others over issues of morality or ethics. But it would always lead to the same conclusion; society was not ready to cope with their world, and with the knowledge that Corrupted beings existed.

“And what about surveillance cameras, cell phones, or any other devices held by the public? How are we supposed to address them? Wiping Naomi's memories of what happened isn't going to change what others in the public may have captured in photos and video clips,” Katherine responded.

These were questions similar to those Monica remembered having risen at one time or another in the past.

“My word Ms Munroe, you certainly ask a lot of questions,” the Senator said. “But you needn't worry about the media. There is firstly the speed with which these spirits, even the Corrupted, can deceive of our senses. Deceiving through their movement alone is quite astounding. This also extends to technologies. It is only through the spirit's own volition, or the heightened level of another's consciousness, that they become visible to the normal naked eye. This is also why we must rely so heavily upon the detection of foreign energies. Even on the off chance that such an activity was captured, my superiors are usually quick to quash and rebuke its validity.”

“Your superiors…, do you mean the President?”

“Yes, at least in one sense,” the Senator replied, much to Monica's worry, for she didn't want Margaret to deviate any further from what should be their focus in the present.

It's complicated enough trying to explain all this to someone who knows so little about our way of life,
she thought to herself, knowing that any questions Katherine raised with respect to their ‘
superiors'
would surely prove difficult to answer.

What bothered her most was Margaret delving into the politics of something which even she herself struggled to comprehend. For she was aware there existed another society; one which resided upon a plane of enlightenment above all others, a group of beings often referred to as the
Illuminati.
But aside from this, and when it came to this peculiar group of individuals, all she knew was that Margaret and the organisation were receiving their orders from those which extended beyond the scope of the country's government, and thus to the decision-making powers of a worldly ‘
board'
of exclusive members. Although she had a limited understanding of their role, she rarely saw any point in questioning their objectives as they'd yet never led them astray. Monica was a soldier above all else; her one desire, and in accordance with her orders, was to bring an end to those Corrupted who sought to feed upon the innocent.

“You said that a guardian has tried to reach Naomi,” Katherine reminded her. “Then why don't we let her join us? If she were to form a celestial bond with this guardian –

“- This has yet to happen,” Walter had been quick to interrupt. “It is for her own safety that she must remain unaware of the Corrupted's existence.”

“But there's little doubt the Corrupted will return for the girl,” Monica responded, seeing reason in what Katherine had attempted to propose.

The Senator blew a puff from her cigar. “As they would for all of us. If she were to know, what good would it do? The only difference would be that she'd live in fear, constantly looking over her shoulder for something that she'd be powerless to stop.”