Chapter 3
Zarath
Studying the features of the odd young woman, I tried to determine if she was under the influence of a drug. Was she pale? Her skin had a dark brown tone, which made it difficult to tell. Despite that, her face was strikingly beautiful; heart-shaped with full, pouty lips and expressive brown eyes that seemed unaffected by any drugs. However, her bizarre ramblings suggested otherwise.
She was dressed in peculiar attire, but I knew that was for the Earth holiday called Halloween, where humans wore wacky costumes and pretended to be someone else. Strangely enough, she seemed convinced that we were also wearing costumes, despite Dave’s giant fucking wings.
That was surely a sign of delusion, right?
Her costume wasn’t particularly attractive, yet she still managed to look lovely in it. A small bonnet was pinned to her curly hair and a rough light blue dress covered most of her body as if she was afraid of exposing her skin to the air. As she fidgeted, I couldn’t dismiss the possibility that she had information about a dealer selling Serenity9 in Eastern Oregon — my current target during our break between jobs.
Paranoia also seemed to plague her. She kept glancing behind her as if being chased.
Dave, being Dave, played along with her nonsense conversation. “Oh yeah, women love this costume,” he boasted with a wave of his very real wings. “They cost me eight grand on this epic cosplay website.”
The woman’s eyes widened at the display while Dave flexed his muscles impressively, flapping his wings in the air. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at his attention-seeking behavior. This was hardly the time for showboating and pranks. Behind Dave, a small human child stopped and stared excitedly at the huge, graceful green wings.
“Whoa! You’re a real Aikkoan. Your wings are awesome!”
The woman we'd been talking to whirled around, her long skirt swishing as she put her hands on her hips and addressed the boy. “Now, now, young man. Aliens aren’t real. These are just very elaborate costumes.”
“Whatever, crazy lady,” the boy retorted, rolling his eyes before darting off into the crowd.
Dave burst into a fit of giggles, his broad shoulders shaking with mirth. My skin prickled with irritation.
“Dave,” I hissed, “get your head in the game. We’re here to gather proof of Serenity9 distribution, not amuse the locals.”
He wiped a tear from his eye, still laughing. “Come on, Zarath. Lighten up! Taking down these dealers can wait.”
But it couldn’t. If this drug was spreading among humans, it was only a matter of time before someone ended up like my brother. Dave was easygoing enough to accompany me on these side missions, but he didn’t know my true reasons for losing my job with the IUC. He didn’t know that I’d defied orders to chase after a dealer, or that I dedicated every free moment to stopping the deadly effects of the drug. He couldn’t understand my pain.
Probably because I never told him about it, since he was an idiot.
My eyes flickered to him, taking in his glistening muscles and attractive body—no, no, on his riduclousness. Focus on his goofball behavior, not the thick bulge in his pants.
It didn’t help that he always walked around without a shirt, claiming it was too difficult to manage one with his wings.
The woman turned back to us, shaking her head.
“I don’t get how anyone can believe in aliens. It’s like those people who think the Earth is round and orbits the sun. It goes against all logic!” She seemed flustered and slightly flushed, and she stopped speaking and just stared at Dave’s crotch. Which, granted, was a normal reaction to his generous endowment, but her lack of self-control was concerning.
Dave, on the other hand, looked amused and confused — pretty much his standard facial expression. “Uh, yeah, that does sound crazy,” he said, glancing at me for confirmation. “Can you tell us more about this fantasy you have of fucking aliens?”
The woman took a shaky breath that alarmed me. I scrutinized her closely for other signs of Serenity9 use. Tremors paired with delusional thinking was a clear indicator of a bad trip on this drug.
“Ma’am,” I said cautiously, “are you feeling okay?”
She blinked at me. “I feel perfectly fine, thank you. And that wasn’t my fantasy. I was just saying some people might be into that. I would never go against God’s will for me to remain pure and virtuous. You cannot tempt me into darkness.”
“Who is this God?” My translator glitched on that word. Maybe it was a name.
“It must be one of those cultural things we don’t understand.” Dave winked at me. “As fake aliens.”
The woman blinked in confusion. “God. The creator of everything around us. He made all of humankind in His image and teaches us to be humble and pure.” She looked down at the papers in her hand, as if remembering they were there, and thrust one towards us. “His light shines within you. I can see it.”
Fuck. If she was seeing light, that was a serious warning sign of potential brain damage from Serenity9 use.
“What light?” I asked urgently, my voice rising. “Can you tell me where the light is coming from?”
The woman continued, undeterred, as if she wasn’t about to die. “The light shines brighter when you turn away from evil,” she explained fervently.
“Is the evil on my left or right?” I asked.
“Evil is pervasive. It’s everywhere. That’s why you need to let Jesus inside you.”
Well, that sounded vaguely sexual.
“I do enjoy having people inside me,” Dave joked, winking at her.
She frowned, looking lost now. “Not people, just the divine light.”
“Divine light. Is that… that God guy’s name for his dick?” Dave asked, frowning.
She looked like she might swoon. “Pardon?”
She sounded crazier and crazier, and my mind kicked into overdrive, cataloging symptoms of a bad Serenity9 trip. Seeing strange lights? Check. Sweaty? Yes. Delusions? Check. Hallucinations? Definitely. Inappropriate sexual behavior? Potentially. I felt a cold dread settle in the pit of my stomach. This woman was exhibiting classic signs of a Serenity9 overdose. I wondered how I could check her heart rate.
“Ma’am,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady, “Are you high?”
She blinked, then let out a lilting laugh. “High? What a strange name. I’m Delilah Faith Waters. What kind of name is high?”
Either Delilah was deep in the throes of a drug-induced psychosis, or she was simply a nut job. I closed my eyes and a vision of my brother’s face flashed in my memory of the strange things Moslu had said before he’d disappeared. I couldn’t take the risk that she was close to an overdose. She needed the antidote, and fast.
Chest tightening with a rush of worry, I scooped Delilah into my arms, her small frame surprisingly light. I ignored the strange sensation of completeness that came with touching her. There was no time to fixate on strange details, no time to explain.
“Dave, follow me! We have a medical emergency!” I barked, my feet already pounding the pavement as I sprinted towards our ship. All around us, people looked on with curiosity. Delilah squirmed in my grasp, her warm breath tickling my neck as she spoke.
“What medical emergency? I feel perfectly fine, I assure you.”
I didn’t slow my pace. “Ma’am, you’re exhibiting signs of a dangerous drug overdose. We need to get you immediate treatment. Your rural hospital will not have the antidote, as the drug is not known on your planet. We must get you to our ship.”
Her brow furrowed. “Antidote for what? This is a very weird cosplay. Have you perhaps been reading books called science fiction?”
“Don’t worry, your brain may be telling you strange things at the moment, but it’s all part of the bad reaction.”
She craned her neck, looking past me. “If those wings are just an expensive costume, how is your friend actually flying?” I glanced up and saw Dave soaring overhead, his massive wings spread wide against the sky.
He was bellowing to the startled townspeople below, “Clear the way! Medical emergency coming through!”
Fucking showoff.
“It can’t be,” Delilah breathed, her eyes locked on Dave’s impressive aerial display. “Aliens aren’t real.” I grimaced.
“It’s a bit insulting to call us aliens. We’re merely another species. I’m Chokreini, and that sexy idiot up in the sky is Aikkoan.”
Shit. Why had I called Dave sexy?