Chapter X: Resurrection

Leaves and branches whipped across Night’s face in a blinding flurry as she jumped and glided through the canopy of treetops to gain distance at speeds even she was surprised when whilst in the dark forest floor below, there was a steak of yellow light moving like the blur of traffic lights, Omega made a straight line. All obstacles great and small did little to inhibit the tiny juggernaut as trees, boulders and whatever else was in the way toppled in his wake in a combination of speed and power that only Omega could achieve and therefore came as little surprise. After traveling through fifteen minutes of pure wilderness, they managed to get to the other side on the outskirts of the small town where the Zippy-Mart stood and there already seemed to be some manner of chaos.
Inside, Fang and Laen had already held up the only worker of the establishment, a massive, yet frightened Cobra with the sides of his hood folded down in a panic as he used the tip of his tail to type the register keys to automatically hand over the money. Terrance’s body was already placed inside the ice cooler whilst little Tommy was crying, terrified at what Fang and Laen were doing...he just wanted to go home.
“Please leave me alone now, I am not vanting any trouble!” said the Cobra, obviously having an Indian accent in as much as having a few Indian based films with Hindi charms and a few Buddha statues around his shop, as was music coming from the small radio by the fan on the side of the security monitors was playing Indian music.
“Look pal, we don’t want your damn money! We have someone coming to help take care of our friend here so if you know what’s good for ya, you’ll shut up and stay the hell back!” Fang growled to which the snake shivered, sticking out his forked tongue frequently in apprehension.
“Please, if my boss finds out about dis healt’ and safety nightmare...I’ll be fired or worse!” the snake pleaded.
“Not our problem, you just happened to be the closest place we could get our friend, we’ve got a professional who will take care of everything when he gets here, so no calling the cops, unless you want me to try a new delicacy and trust me...I’m dangerous when I’m hungry!” Laen retorted as she growled, bringing her teeth to bear to make her point when a moment later Omega and Night arrived to which at first everyone looked to Night with trepidation...after what had happened to Terrance, they couldn’t help but feel nervous when they saw her.
“She’s fine, don’t worry about her...where’s Terrance?” Omega said immediately to both calm their sudden fears in as much as to get things ready.
“He’s in the freezer Boss, need me to get him?” Asked Fang.
“Yes carefully...I need a tub of hot water, as many towels as you can get, and shaving cream. I need all those right now, Move!
Laen, Fang, Night, and Tommy instantly obeyed while Omega looked at the massive snake which for a moment he was intrigued at the size of this Cobra...but this was no time to marvel.
“You, Cobra!” Omega said in commanding fashion.
“My name is Raj” the snake timorously answered.
“Raj, I bet you have a myriad of poisons, am I right?” Omega implied.
“Y-yes...but it is against healt’ and safety regulations...I cannot have de life blood of a customer on my coils!” He relied to which Omega ignored the rest of what he said.
“Look, just open up...I need to change the chemical properties of your poisons to counteract the toxins already in Terrance...it may be the only way to save his life. Omega said tersely.
“But healt’ and safety...”
“Listen to me, we don’t time to argue and unless you do as I say, the life blood of a customer will be on your coils! Letting him die would equal the same as if you murdered him yourself...now, open up!” Omega demanded with more urgency and impatience.
The cobra at a disadvantage in as much as feeling somewhat overwhelmed in spite of the small size of his captor obeyed, opening his massive jaws as Omega took a look at the gateway before him.
Inside was of an interesting exhibition, the long, hollow, serpentine fangs that hung ever so precariously before him where deeper in still was the strange tongue which seemed to retract and meander out of a sheath of some kind rather than being an outward muscle. Further in was the throat which by as far as snakes were considered was an ongoing, endless tunnel with no juncture of organs to distinguish the difference as anything living, or what life one had left to observe with, would find no distinction between the esophagus or the stomach as both would seamlessly enmesh through the living tube. Though the notion to climb inside was very tempting, his obligations to save Terrance had reestablished his composure as Omega brought his attention to the two fangs above him...the snake’s jaws were beginning to tire as Raj struggled to hold still and so Omega began his work in grabbing the two fangs firmly and flowed some of his polynanite cells into the tubes of the fangs leading up to the venom ducts where he began the process in changing the chemical properties of the toxins directly. Needless to say, this proved most uncomfortable for Raj as he moaned a little...but there was nothing he could do to stop it as he couldn’t move...Omega’s biohacking had held him in place as the weird sensations that was just above his palate was messing with his sinuses until a moment later Raj felt the protruding material retract and Omega then released his grip.
Raj shook his head and gazed down at Omega fretfully, not liking the position he found himself in and what he knew and fretted what Omega was going to say next would entail.
“Alright...”Omega said. “...very gently, with as little force as possible, I need you to inject your fangs into the forearm and release the anti-venom. Since his heart isn’t beating there will be very little blood.” Omega said with a surgeon’s calmness as he had applied the shaving cream provided by Laen and making his index finger into a sort of razor as he began to cleanly shave the area of application. Omega had made two marks as a clear indication of where to inject the serum.
“No, I must object, zis is very, very dangerous and...” Raj stopped as Omega placed his hand along a segment of his back, biohacking Raj as Omega controlled his head as if it were a robotic instrument. With very nimble and careful movement, Raj’s fangs met their mark where only the tips came in contact with the skin with the precision of a machine had lightly punctured into the veins and released the anti-venom that for the moment remained still. Raj was then released and removed his fangs, shivering from the experience he had to endure.
Everyone saw what happened but none dared to voice their opinion, for they knew that no matter how unorthodox it seemed; in the end Omega always...ALWAYS did what was necessary. Omega then looked to Fang which without words gently placed Terrance’s body into a plastic swimming pool of warm water the group had poured in by the bucketful out of both restroom sinks, spilling out from the overflow caused by the displacement.
Satisfied with the preparations, Omega then lifted his hand, and as before, it melted and formed into a larger blade to which after applying a generous portion of shaving cream across Terrance’s chest had cleaved the fur off from it, revealing the mottled skin underneath.
“We have very little time, so please pay very close attention to my instructions because I don’t have time to repeat myself. I’m going to restart Terrance’s heart, but that in itself isn’t going to be enough...I need everyone to place their hands on me so I can extract any information on Terrance you have from your memories and I will need everyone to remember anything you can about him and focus only on him...I will then begin to fill in the gaps of his memories. During this time...you are going to encounter very strange things, some that will frighten you, but whatever happens, stay where you are and keep your hands in contact with me...if you don’t...I cannot promise your safety. I will say things and some of you will repeat and even speak in unison of what I say...if that is the case, do not try to fight it. Am I understood?”
Everyone though not fully understanding everything he meant, they all agreed, except Tommy and Raj, though one was ignorant and one did not understand so Omega looked at Tommy who appeared scared.
“Hey there...don’t think I’ve talked to you much there bud. I need you to do me a big favor. Terrance is not doing too well and so I need you to put your hand on my back and think real hard about Terrance, think about good things about Terrance. Now there is going to be a lot of scary things that are going to happen, but I need you to be brave for me...can you do that for me pal?” Omega said making a funny face to reassure Tommy.
“I’ll think about Terrance real good! He told me we’ll go hunting with Night and get a big deer!” he said cheerfully in his innocence...one which Omega knew was deceptive in that Night would not be in that hunt, nor any for the foreseen future, a minor guilt in not sharing that major tidbit of information would be a small price to pay for the exchange of normality. He was a child and children in the grand scheme of things were resilient to change.
“Atta boy, you just do that and Terrance will be just fine.” Omega said with a wink and slight ruffle of the boy’s hair as he looked up to the cobra.
“I realize this is very confusing, but it would be very useful if you formed a circle around the group. I don’t think it would do very well if we found chunks of snake all over the store...I will try and make this quick and I do apologize in advance for any and all damages the store will take. So if you would...” Omega made the gesture to which at this point Raj found himself in another predicament that he would have to obey, but then this creature, whatever he was, was unlike anything Raj had ever encountered in this country he thought to himself as he slithered his massive body in a large circle around the group where the tip of his tail was touching the tip of his nose with the group in the center, everyone placed their hands on Omega, Omega placed his hands on the exposed skin of Terrance’s cold chest.
“Is everyone ready?” Omega asked. Everyone nodded and gave their confirmation as he looked down at Terrance. All was still, all was quiet save for the ambiance of the store and the music. That was until they heard an utterance, a whisper coming from Omega...
“Seven-Seven-Five-Five-Three-Seven-Seven-Five-Nine-Seven-Two-Five-Seven-Seven-Five...” Omega chanted, puzzling everyone in the room.
“7-7-5-5-3-7-7-5-9-7-2-5-7-7-5...”
Fang looked to the others as they looked to him...
“Man this is creepy. What the hell is all those numbers suppose to...Seven-Seven-Five-Five...” Fang said as he suddenly droned on with the numbers like Omega as if lured into the trance. Then Tommy fell into it with tears of fear and confusion in his eyes as he uttered the digits uncontrollably. Laen tried to resist as she suddenly heard the radio mistuned and buzzing out and then began chanting...only what she heard was not the same...
“Shedva, Shedva, Elsch, Elsch, Zyi, Shedva, Shedva, Elsch, Ghii, Shedva, Neh, Elsch, Shedva, Shedva, Elsch...” The radio chanted and the security monitors showed strange symbols...alien numbers flashing along with each announced number. The cash register opened and closed over and over while the digital number display flickered the numbers as the receipt printer continuously printed out the same fifteen numbers on an already long roll of paper. If that wasn’t strange enough...the fan went at speeds so fast that it began to move, paper was flying around the store, the lights began to flicker until one popped which made Laen yelp...the drinks in the freezers were boiling and busted, eggs from the cartons had popped out frying hot on what was freezing metal. Lights continued to pop, the water was simmering around Terrance as his body convulsed and shook. The snake was slithering around them slowly whilst uttering the numbers. Everyone was afraid except Night, though she was having problems of her own as in uttering her words; she was constantly and erratically fluctuating between herself and the Beast as both were uttering the numbers. Everyone spoke the same words in unison, breathed in the same tempo, and even their heartbeat despite their species all beat in a perfect, rhythmic, pulse.
It was as though this horrific chant would never cease until Terrance suddenly shot up into a sitting position, gasped several times, and violently vomited up everything as the toxins came pouring came out of him, only to fall unconscious but he was breathing, very much alive as Omega let go and everything suddenly stopped. The fan stopped, the radio stopped, the register stopped and the room went dark save for the ambiance of the sunlight outside. Everyone was panting as they struggled to catch their breath. The place was obviously a mess, as though some horrific cataclysm had rendered this once quiet, out of the way store into a disaster area, which unfortunately had left poor Raj mortified, slinking away to assess the devastation.
“So...is that it, is it over now...is Terrance alive?!” asked Night to Omega anxiously.
“Terrance will be fine now, he’s very much alive...though he will need a long time to rest...what’s happened to him has taken a major toll on his body. His brain activity will be weak at first, but over the next several days he should get back into his normal cycle. So with that said, I don’t have to stress that he will need around-the-clock care. There will be a fever as his body’s immune system recalibrates itself. I think we’re done here, lets head back and...
“You are going novhere!” said the cobra as everyone had their attention on him which was all he needed as his hood was now opened and his eyes changing colors and patterns.
“After vat you have done to my store, you vill not be leaving...you vill stay very, very still now.” Raj said as everyone gazed at him...the hypnotic effects of his eyes and hood had put everyone, including Omega into a mesmerized state, unable to move, unable to speak without the say so of Raj.
They had tried his patience and his hospitality and in return his store was left in ruins, so it stood to reason that they would pay of course, and had he been left to his own devices he would have done something rather rash, most likely eating every one of them...well save for the child and the unconscious teen, he had a soft spot for children and would not associate them in this crime. But then, being a law-abiding citizen, the only recourse he could take was to call the police as he wrapped a coil around the phone and with the tip of his tail dialed 911 on the panel.
“Hello, dis is Raj at de Zippy-Mart...I vas calling to report...”
“How very perceptive, Raj, calling upon the local authorities to save the day, no doubt you’re concocting some fabricated lie; of how four strangers ransacked your store while you stood in a terrible silence with forced consent to their needs. And as you should after what you’ve seen, I couldn’t put it past your primitive reptilian brain to seek the most plausible way out of this predicament you find yourself in...Though it is with great regret that I must inform you, the police will not be hearing this call...nor are they coming”
That voice...how can it...Raj looked to see Omega looking right at Raj with a confident smile on his face, his mouth closed as the words continued through the speaker of the phone.
“Why whatever is the matter Raj? Cat got your tongue?...hmhm...It amusing to see that look of apprehension on your face. Do I detect a little fear, shock, surprise, perhaps a little disbelief in spite of the fact that clearly your senses are functioning quite perfectly. Perhaps I am nothing more than the figment of your imagination, a bad dream you find yourself unable to beat yourself awake from. Though it well may be that I am the madness that is gnawing violently, voraciously at the membranes of your psyche.”
“No...dis is de wrong number, I vill not call again!” Raj stammered as he slammed the phone down on the hook to which he looked toward Omega who as if in the blink of an eye appeared right at the front of the register with that same smile the radio began to go out of tune again and then the sound of Omega’s voice.
“Poor Raj, in spite of your obvious talents and continuous efforts, you still remain underappreciated of those by whom you are employed, working you incessantly at the bottom of the occupational totem pole, barely scraping by with long hours and very little pay to show for it. The daily grind building a sense of degradation from the lack of appreciation you find your life to be. Though I suppose we shouldn’t neglect the fact of when they see what’s happened here today, why they’d terminate your employment on the spot, well after they’d make you clean up the store of course. Inhumane and unfair, but then it’s always been that way, has it not? ‘Crawl in the dirt on your belly as is fitting for a lowly creature like yourself; Slave away as is the rightful place in your caste.’ They don’t understand; how could they? They’ll never appreciate that you are as every much flesh and blood as they are...but I do, and I, unlike they, can sympathize and willing to reward that which is rendered by making all of this disappear. Of course I can do nothing to convince your employers nor am I able to change your status quo, that’s life; but I can make all of this go away as though we had never been here in the first place. A win-win wouldn’t you agree? Our identities remain anonymous whilst your employers remain none the wiser. A poetic end to this brief aquaintence.” Proposed Omega as his eyes now began to reverse they hypnosis back to Raj who began to fall into the trance.
In fact, if I may conclude, nobody is more deserving of a rest than you. A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the coils.” Omega said decadently as Raj listened...
“Little...sleep...folding...”Raj said tiredly, weariness and his eyelids struggled to stay open and still very much afraid as Omega approached.
“There is no use in fighting it, allow yourself to sink into the languid, seductive embrace as every sinew is wrapped in velvety warmth your body craves above all else.” Omega soothed in the seductive, hypnotic drone with a single touch, Raj’s head slammed down on the counter in instant sleep and slid off onto the floor snoring. At that moment everyone began to shake off their dazed stupor in a state of confusion.
“Ugh...what happened? Asked Night still half lidded in dreariness.
“I feel like a jackhammer’s been chipping at my skull...” said Fang rubbing his head.
Tommy whined at awakening to such discomfort.
All the while, Terrance was still unconscious, unerring from his slumber.
“We need to cover our tracks, get everyone out of here...there can be no evidence showing any ties to us and what’s happened here...everything must be forgotten.” Omega said, cuing everyone to move as Fang picked up Terrance and Night held onto Tommy, whilst Laen holding onto her aching head began to flee from the store which about that time Omega suddenly was blown apart into tiny bits as if he was made of sand and as if there was a great wind, the silvery sandstorm churned and whirled, obscuring the sight within the store. It was after a few minutes later that the maelstrom ceased and condensed back into Omega...the inside of the store had been cleansed, it’s products restored as though nothing had happened as Omega walked out of the doorway as he straightened out his jacket and approached the group...he was walking rather funny, his gait wasn’t as composed as it was usually, staggering as he arrived.
“Laen...take Tommy, and get two beds ready...one for Terrance...and one...for...” Omega suddenly collapsed, his black, fiery tail went out like a candle, and the glowing yellow spurs on the heels of his feet suddenly faded into a dull, grayish yellow as was with the markings on his face. Omega, their tireless, fearless and selfless leader had fallen by reasons unknown.
Omega...OMEGA!!” Night cried out as she released Tommy and rushed to Omega grabbing her friend up in her arms and held him. He lay there, still as death, unmoving as she picked him up and began crying.
“You can’t, you just can’t! Omega please!” she sobbed, pressing her face against his chest, wishing her tears could just wake him up but even her willpower proved useless.
“He’s not dead...” Fang suddenly said. “...he’s sleeping...I...I think he has to recharge.”
“Oh and just how the hell do you know that?!” Yelled Laen as she tried to console Night and Tommy who were both crying. “In case you haven’t noticed, genius, Omega isn’t moving or breathing so that means he’s dead!”
“Shut up! I just know, Ok?! It’s...its like ever since he injected me...I-I dunno I just know things, things I never knew before...like something telling me he’s asleep.” Fang said as if trying to come to terms himself on how he knew.
“He’s right...” Night said sniffling. “...Laen, you still don’t get it...he’s an alien, he’s nothing at all like us. There’s no pulse or breath because there is no heart or lungs! When it comes to Omega, our understanding means nothing. We just have to accept that this is out of our control...we just need to wait and see.”
“The only thing I don’t understand is how the hell you fell in love with an alien in the first place! He’s not one of us, he’s different...I say we just leave him here and let nature decide what’s best because clearly you missed the reality check, he’s an enemy to nature!” Laen said to which Night responded immediately as she smacked Laen so hard she was thrown to the ground leaving her to look up with a slightly swollen cheek at Night.
“What I can’t understand is how you’re even looking at me, saying that to my face and not expect to be picking yourself and your teeth from off the ground. It’s sad how one of my best and brightest students can say that someone is not like us like it’s a bad thing, knowing that I was in the same position not too long ago, knowing that you should be damn grateful to this alien after he has saved our collective asses over and over again without a single thought of reward! I thought you’d be ready to graduate and become a hunting instructor when I leave...but honestly you haven’t learned a damn thing, you’re just a stuck up bitch! Gods forbid if someone thinks a little differently or doesn’t fit the way you want them to look! I guess I shouldn’t cross paths with Laen the Mountain Lioness because I’m a wolf with wings on my back that turns into a monster! I’m different, why not judge me too?!” Night yelled as Laen looked to Night, ashamed as Night walked away, reaching out her hand to protest.
“No wait...please...I just don’t understand! I ...just...come back!!!” Laen cried out as the three left with their precious burdens in their arms. She never felt so alone, so stupid or as ashamed as she did now. ’He is the enemy’ she had said to herself, an enemy to the old ways, an enemy to simplicity, morality, of decent living. She knew the old ways were dying, that the works of her ancestors were a thing of the past that would be forgotten in another generation or two. Mother Nature was falling into the grip of Father Time as progress and technology was continually shrinking the world, claustrophobically so. In a sense, the world was becoming less like her and more like Omega, and it seemed as if the harder she fought, the faster and more powerful the other side would become...perhaps this is how it should be...or maybe not, if she couldn’t stop him, then perhaps someone else could, though she knew she’d most likely regret it later.

---

Raj slowly rose himself from off the floor...his head was swirling in drowsiness as he rose to the counter...which was when he realized he had fallen asleep on the job.
“Great Vishnu, I have been sleeping on de job!” Raj said as he rushed to the now clean security monitors and rewound the tape revealing a clean store as nothing had happened...there was a family of wolves, a large father wolf, a lean and beautiful mother and their little son who had came in for their boy to use the bathroom and soon after bade them good day. Strange as he didn’t remember it, not that it mattered anyway. So he got comfortable, looking at the clean store whilst the radio with the Indian music still played on.