I blink away the tears filling my eyes.
“The Cryzor Horde willneverfind this planet, not if I have anything to say about it. It’s a good thing you are defecting. I believe they are about to pit themselves against another species who will be more than their match. The Cryzorians are about to get a reality check that they aren’t the most dangerous species in the universe.” Ravok blinks at Koko, looking shocked at the thought that his people might soon face defeat.
“Can you set your ship on a course to this star?” Koko asks, pulling Ravok out of his shock.
“O-of course,” Ravok responds, stepping up next to Koko and getting to work.
His fingers skate over the glowing panel of his console, and the ship shudders lightly. The engines are revving louder, vibrating beneath us. My heart thuds, matching the tempo of the ship’s rumbling beats.
“Perfect. I want you to hold on launching your ship. I will mask our presence and make the agents believe you are on the ship when it departs. I need them to witness you escaping so they will leave my town.”
Koko leads us off the ship.
She has us stand inside the now empty garage as she strides towards the three frozen agents, her emerald-green eyes glinting.
Koko holds her hands up in front of the agents. She starts to glow again, a sure sign of her power. “Agent Tucker, you attempted to shoot the alien, who was alone, but you only managed to graze him. All three of you will watch as the alien escapes onto his ship. You will see the ship blast off and leave our galaxy. You will interview the human woman, Lilith Blackwell, who was the alien’s hostage. The woman will be very thankful that you saved her, and she will promise never to speak of what she has witnessed. You will be convinced of her vow and remind her that no one would believe her if she told people about the alien. You will warn her that she will end up committed to a mental hospital if she tries. Once the alien finishes his escape, you will leave this town and never come back. Do you three understand?” Even I feel the goddess’s magnetic compulsion in the air. Each word whispers into the air, the manipulative tendrils coiling around the frozen agents, planting seeds of memories that never happened but will take root and grow.
All three agents say yes in strange, monotonous robotic voices. Seemingly satisfied, Koko leaves the three agents still frozen and heads over to us in the garage’s opening.
I interlace my fingers with Ravok’s, savoring the warmth of his skin against mine. Even in these strange circumstances, a feeling of ‘home’ washes over me.
“Stay at my side,” Koko instructs us, her stern gaze like molten steel. “I’ll keep you shielded,” she promises, her tone unwavering. She then says something else in a guttural language that I assume is Ravok’s native tongue.
Ravok startles at my side but rumbles an answer back in the same language.
The air hums around us, electric and thrilling in its intensity. I can feel the weight of Ravok’s anticipation standing beside me.
“Ravok,” Koko starts, her voice a soothing harmony amidst the tense atmosphere. “I am going to create a vision for the agents. They are going to see a facsimile of you boarding your ship, that should keep their attention away from us. Once you see your duplicate board the vessel, have your nanites close the hatch, and then launch the ship.”
Ravok nods, his eyes filling with understanding. He laces his fingers with mine, interlocking our hands reassuringly.
“Here we go. Stay by my side,” Koko reminds us. “Khast, Ravok. Go,” she instructs.
Around us, time unfreezes as suddenly as it halted. The startling normalcy of noise – the shouts and screams, even the sounds of birds’ calls – assaults my senses, bringing me back to the terrifying reality of the situation.
Staying still is difficult; every instinct screams for me to take action, but I stay rooted, our fates hinging on this moment. The agents return to life, picking up exactly where they left off. All three of them bellow for Ravok to freeze. The agent with the gun shoots at the fake Ravok again. The faux Ravok moves with a fluidity that leaves me breathless, ducking below the bullet with ease. He runs toward the ship and dives into the hatch, disappearing from view.
The real Ravok’s hand tightens around mine as the hatch slides closed. Koko gives a reassuring nod, her eyes sending a silent go-ahead.
The ship rumbles and shifts before shooting off into the atmosphere. It blasts upwards like a streak, leaving a scorching trail of incandescent light. A collective gasp of awe rises from the shocked agents, accompanied by a scant trace of smoke lingering in the air.
As the ship disappears, my heart lurches with a strange sense of poignancy. I look at Koko, then back to the sky, and finally settle my gaze on Ravok. The reality of it all, the raw emotions, the thrill… it is too much, but it feels oddly right. I hope we’ve done enough; only time will tell.
We watch silently from the darkened garage as the three agents argue for a minute before getting in the car and driving away. We wait in silence until the red of their car’s taillights disappear into the night.
“Well… what an exciting night, huh?” Koko announces, in the same tone of voice I might use to comment on a busy day at work.
My mouth opens but nothing comes out.
“Sorry, darlings, I need to get going. I have other items to attend to tonight,” Koko says, her voice dropping with a hint of mischief. Her eyes glint with a sparkle that suggests she knows just a bit too much. “I’ll leave you two to your own devices tonight.”
“However,” she continues with a dramatic flare, her eyes landing on Ravok and me, “we need to have you both participate in a small welcoming ceremony soon. It’ll cement your residency in Lublin Harbor and afford you my divine protection.”
“We’ll talk in the next few days to schedule everything.” With a wink, she adds, “Have a nice night, you two. I’ll call you soon.”
Before we get a chance to respond, Koko lifts into the star-dotted night sky, floating away like a celestial Mary Poppins. She disappears from sight, leaving Ravok and me standing in stunned shock, staring after her.
“Holy shit,” I murmur, “what just happened?”
