As Billy opened the door and walked through the white field surrounding the door faded out and was replaced by what appeared to be a living ,room with Brandt and Angela standing in the room. No demons waited with fiery axes. Billy walked into the room and felt a huge sense of relief wash over him.
Oh, Billy, you did it! Angela said crossing the room to where Billy stood.
Yeah, I did, Billy said smiling at Angela. Maybe there’s something to this God thing.
We can talk more about that later if you like? Angela said hopefully.
He came through a door into the training room for Christ’s sake, Brandt said. He didn’t do anything special.
Billy thought about that a moment. It was supposed to be a secure place, but he certainly didn’t have any sense of fear as he had before he’d done what Angela suggested. Besides, she was nice to him and Brandt was the mean sort of kid that had always picked on Billy. The kindness she had shown him won the day finally.
I think I’d like to hear more about God if he can help me not be scared like that, Billy said to Angela, ignoring Brandt as he threw up his hands and started to turn away.
As soon as Billy finished speaking a rope of white hot energy leapt from Angela’s chest to Billy’s. It happened so fast he didn’t even have time to think about moving out of the way. Angela jumped back and Billy swatted at the place where the energy connected to his chest, but his hands just passed through the rope without affecting its position at all.
What the hell is that? Brandt screamed, backing away from Billy and Angela. Archangel we’ve got a breach!
Countermand that breach order, Colonel Peters said on the channel. Tech’s are watching the data. We do not, I repeat do not have a breach in progress.
Then what is going on? Brandt asked.
EM spike indicates it is environmental only as before, Archangel, Sergeant Sanchez’ voice said.
What do you mean like before? Brandt asked.
Weren’t you paying attention at the debriefing? This happened when Cherry was attacked by those Deltas and the white-robed figures intervened, Peters said. The changes are only on the sensory channels in the environment covering touch, taste, and smell.
It felt like incoming, Archangel, Brandt said calming down.
I know, but it isn’t an incoming hostile as near as we can figure, Peters said.
Guardian Three, did you do anything to create that? Peters asked.
Negative, Archangel. I didn’t do anything, Angela said still staring at the pulsing rope of white energy.
Systems appear to be stable, sir. Cherry’s readouts are all solid, in fact his heart rate is calmer than when he came through the door. We should be good to go for the training exercise, Sergeant Sanchez said.
Fine. Let’s get this going and see what happens, Peters said.
Okay. Is the operation still a go if this sticks around? Brandt asked.
Don’t know Guardian One. We’ll see. Teach the kid to fly first, Peters said.
Roger, Brandt said.
I’m going to learn to fly? Billy said.
Yep, Angela said and with one look at Brandt they both pushed off from the floor and shot through the ceiling of the room. Billy bent his knees and pushed off like he saw Angela and Brandt do but all that happened was an odd little hop.
It didn’t work, Billy said with disappointment in his voice. All I did was a little hop.
Cherry, you’re not in the world, you’re in the ether. There’s no gravity here. Just do it, Brandt insisted. To add emphasis to his point he stuck his head through the ceiling and scowled down at Billy.
Cool, Billy said.
Thanks, now get your butt up here, Brandt said brushing off the compliment.
Billy looked down and squared his feet away to try again. Right, no gravity, right.
Jump! Brandt shouted. Billy jumped as instructed. Unfortunately, he only performed a normal jump as if he had been standing in the room in the real world.
Damn it! Jumped again, Billy said with resignation. Angela poked her head through the ceiling like Brandt.
Don’t expect to jump, Cherry. Expect to fly! she said, and to add emphasis she came all the way through the ceiling and soared around the room at a dizzying speed.
How do I expect to fly? Billy asked, looking at his feet as though they were the betrayers at fault in all of this.
Yeah, yeah, expect to fly. That’s it Cherry. Like how we found that man yesterday or how you got to the door. See yourself flying in your mind and you will, Brandt said eagerly making the connection in what Angela was trying to say.
Billy looked down again at his feet then at the ceiling. Angela passed through his vision as he prepared himself. Then, Billy closed his eyes and created a picture of himself flying around the room chasing Angela.
That’s the way! Good job, Angela said.
Billy opened his eyes and found he was swooping around the room right behind Angela just as he has pictured. He laughed out loud uncontrollably. Angela dropped out of the loop and let Billy take a couple of laps around the ceiling of the room by himself as she smiled up at him.
Great, now come up here with us, Brandt said, pulling his head through the ceiling. Angela pushed off and went through as well. Billy made one more lap then envisioned himself angling up and passing through the ceiling. As his brain created the picture he moved up through the ceiling into a wide open space above the room.
The space Billy found himself seemed to be an open, vaulted ceiling like the inside of a big warehouse or something. Off in the distance he saw a wall of windows stretching from one end of the warehouse to the other. Below him he saw various spaces and rooms built up on the floor. People moved around below and behind the windows.
Is that Heaven? Bill asked.
Its one side of it, yes, Peters answered. Billy smiled and envisioned himself speeding across the several hundred feet of open space to stop right before the windows. In the blink of an eye Billy crossed the distance and stopped inches before the glass.
He’s fast, Sergeant Sanchez said.
Billy looked through the windows and saw the sergeant working at her console. Standing in the middle of the command center facing away from Billy stood Colonel Peters with his own wire-coated, shrouded helmet on observing.
Yes, that’s me, Cherry, the Colonel said.
Right in front of the glass sat a bank of four screens and technicians monitoring the training exercise. Something moved that caught Billy’s attention. Unconsciously, Billy drifted through the glass and console behind it to hover less than a foot from the woman studying her monitors. Sitting on the technician’s shoulder was what appeared to be a three inch maggot with insectoid legs and praying mantis-like pinchers. It had a misshapen humanoid face that appeared to be in great pain, but it regarded Billy with pained curiosity.
Uh, what is that thing? Billy asked pointing to the small creature on the technician’s shoulder. The maggoty insect looked startled, scampered up the technician’s neck and across her face to slip between her eyeball and eyelid disappearing as though it went through some sort of opening or doorway.
Guardians of the Herald is a weekly serial published and copyright by The Cavalier, Mark Malcolm. For more information about this story please join us on our Facebook page community at www.facebook.com/firstchevalierbooks.
