Hayes poured me a coffee and we reviewed the press conference for a while. Apparently he has locked up my companion Kara somewhere until the tour is over. I'm not sure if she'll like the way we have treated her so far. On the other hand, she might actually be learning English right now.

"Are you sure you haven't held a press conference before? It sounded well-prepared, natural." Hayes keeps showering me with compliments.

"Very sure. Maybe being a receptionist at the hotel must have prepared me for this? Oh, right...what about my employer?"

"Your former employer you meant? Let's say you quit, and if there was any lingering doubt....they only need to check the news tonight for verification."

"Riiiiight. Thanks."

"Ha ha ha, but in all honesty....the uniform seems to fit you well. And I'm not talking about the right size. Perhaps we can still convince you to join a Military career?"

"Yeaaah....let's see how things go on the other side first. But yes, so far the Air Force and I seem....compatible."

"Sure are. Okay, let's switch topics. We still need to discuss your progress on BETA side. The relay is holding, and the......ah come in." Hayes gestures to someone to enter the room.

The Airman from before returned. "Excuse me, sir, ma'am? Colonel, the tour has ended and our guests have left the facility. One of them asks for..ahem...trinkets as he called it....like an Air Force pen?"

Hayes grins for a moment, then shakes his head. "Give them Major Willis' phone number. Check for the public numbers on the Air Education and Training site. He'll gladly send them something nice."

"Yes, sir."

"Dismissed."

The Airman leaves us and Hayes takes a sip of his coffee. "Sorry Essie....ah, right. Tell me more."

 

I took the time to tell Hayes about the experiences on the Negawa side, everything I learned...experienced, as detailed as possible. Of course I included meeting the Royals, the gifts I received, the effects of the smoke-gem and our nightly encounter with a rogue.

He agreed that the concept of sleeping in a home without doors was simply unimaginable, and truly alien....moreover dangerous too.

It didn't take much effort to convince him to let us sleep here on the base, as it will make it much easier to debrief me every day. It was the Air Force's original idea anyway to only meet with the Kitsune during the day time, but Nanako insisted on letting the liaison stay with them full time. So in the end, this is better for us in more ways than one.

 

At some point I asked Hayes if Kara could join us, especially since she can't even understand what we're saying. And even if she could, it would only help her to get used to our way of life.

After a few minutes, one of the soldiers escorted her inside Hayes' office, which now seems to be this meeting room's primary function.

The moment I see Kara entering the meeting room, I know that something's wrong. She looks nervous. "Kara, what's wrong?"

"These people.....they made me drink this weird hot black stuff......and I hate it!"

"Huh? Ha ha ha ha ha! It's called coffee, Kara. Do you feel its effects?"

"Oh goddess no. It was a potion?" She puts her hand on her lips, afraid to have ingested something dangerous.

"Wha? No! It's harmless, but it should give you some strength."

"Oh...so that's why I feel so agitated."

"Em.....I'm afraid to ask, but how many cups did you drink just now?"

"Three...?"

"Oh my god......better sit down. The caffeine will wear off soon, trust me. Here, eat a sandwich."

"Why didn't you tell me?" She seems really worried about the effects on her body. She sits down next to me, looking all around her.

"Kara....it won't harm you. The soldier must have thought you liked the stuff."

"I don't! It's just....warm...and bitter. But Essie, why are you wearing those clothes? Are you a soldier too? I saw you on teevee, isn't that how those moving paintings are called?" Kara definitely seems to have ingested too much caffeine, no doubt about it, launching many questions at me.

"Kara...will you please relax? I'll tell you everything, but not now, okay?" After seeing her nod, I see her eyes scanning the room again, very restlessly. "Relaaaax, will you? Please meet mister Hayes, my ..em...master." I know it sounds strange, but it's their way to refer to someone they're working for.

When I looked at Hayes for a moment, he seized the opportunity to ask what was going on, so I told him she simply drank too much coffee. The smile on his face told me all I needed to know...he's enjoying this, I just know it.

"Hayes, this is Kara, my personal guard and friend."

This time Hayes blinked and then frowned. "Essie, you didn't speak English just now."

Kara on the other hand seems to have appreciated the way I had introduced her to him. She bows and says "Hayes, it is an honor to meet Essie's master."

"What did she say?" Hayes said.

"Kara said that she's honored to meet my....em....master. Please don't ask."

"Pffffff....ha ha ha, she actually said that?" Hayes said while laughing really loud. It's not something I had expected him to do. 

"Yes, and...for the love of, give me a minute, for some reason my brain is now trying to figure out what's English and what's not, okay?"

Out of respect for her, Hayes bowed and said "it is an honor to meet the one who serves Essie so well."

Both Kara and I are blinking right now. Kara because she didn't get the joke due to the language issue, and well...I because I'm not sure why Hayes is teasing me.

"Kara, can you understand me now?" I politely asked.

"Of course."

"Then please try to listen to our conversation. I will be speaking in English, which is how our language is called. Try to listen to my words, at some point they will start making some sense."

"Sure."  She looks at me for a moment, then at Hayes. Hayes is still smiling, amused about my suffering.

"So, Hayes...as I wanted to say, this is my personal guard...and friend....Kara. She's a maid and apparently received training as an assassin, so don't be surprised if she....wants to keep me safe."

"Good point, but do I need to call for reinforcements?" Again a grin forms on his face. Well, he's in a good mood now, I guess.

"No, apparently she's a good friend of Nanako's, and she's really nice. There have been no signs that I should distrust her. That's why I brought her along. She'll be guarding me when walking to and fro the portal."

"Essie!" Kara suddenly said.

"Yes?" I look at her, surprised for interrupting me.

"I understood what you said! You said friend!"

"Ahhh...that's excellent news! That means that the potion is starting to work. Looks like you're also one of the lucky few who can pick up this language quickly."

She gave me a very satisfied smile and then focused on our conversation again. When I saw her hand reach out to the coffee, I made sure to explain to her that this wasn't tea either. For now she's a bit disappointed, but she'll live without tea for another hour. She did enjoy eating a sandwich however.

 

Hayes asks "do you know why they are so cautious of us?"

"I think I do, yes. From their perspective....we are hundreds of years more advanced than them. The Princess thought Earth was a very dangerous place....but I told her she didn't see the real world. Even showing her some Youtube videos didn't really do the trick. This will simply take some time. I hope that Kara here can get used to our way of life, and maybe help me translate things to their frame of reference."

"That makes perfect sense, so perhaps we need to take a slower approach. Yes, let's take our time with them. Overwhelming them with our concepts won't do us much good in the long run.

Oh, that reminds me. I visited your parents, they sent their greetings and of course hope you'll be back home soon. Your father.....he's not very fond of the Military, is he?"

"Nah, he isn't. He's an accountant, and stuff happened with one of his clients. Just because that guy was a Navy officer doesn't mean that the whole Military is unreliable. Yeah....don't ask...think fraud, tax evasion...that kind of stuff."

"Okay, sure, that explains a lot. Anyway, they now are proud to have their daughter working for the Air Force. I told them you would stay in touch. Your car is back home and so is your cell phone."

"Thanks for the update, appreciate it."

"Anything else you want to discuss? It's 2 pm, time for lunch."

"2 pm already? Gosh, but yeah, maybe a few things?" He motioned me to continue. "You should definitely have a doggy basket ready for when they visit Earth."

"A what? Did you just say....doggy basket? Just checking if you're still speaking English."

"It's not a doggy basket, but a sleeper!" Kara suddenly interrupts our conversation.

"Wait.....you can understand us now?" Hayes took the words right out of my mouth.

"Em....oh....yes! It seems I can! And that sleeper is...as the name implies...just a thing to sleep in. It's round..or oval shaped....quite spacious...and very comfortable. Essie calls it a basket, but that implies the walls are made from wood or plant fiber."

"I can't believe it....you can really understand English now. So much for it being rare to learn a language after only drinking a single potion." I said. "Anyway, she's right. But I said doggy basket because it basically is one. But instead of a hard texture, it is only made from very soft fabric."

"I see. I'll try to find one of those. Good tip. Anything else, Essie?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. I knew I had forgotten to explain the functions of this blue gem. Hayes, this gemstone should allow me to detect Phantoms or even the use of nearby magic, but apparently it's recharging as we speak. It was a gift from their Majesties, one that I couldn't refuse."

"Don't worry, a gift is a gift. Kara, any questions?" Hayes asked, probably hoping to make time for lunch.

Kara smiles and says "I do actually. Might I see...the outside?" She asked very carefully.

"Of course, but you'll have to wear something to conceal your ears and tail."

"Oh....that makes sense. That's why Essie needs to wear a robe in our world. I understand how this works now."

"Glad you understand," Hayes said. "You can use her robe, but we can't show you our cities. At least not yet."

"Yes, master Hayes." She said, trying to sound respectful. Hayes frowned when she said that, but chose not to comment on it.

 

After our debriefing had ended, we remained here and washed our hands before having lunch. Hayes was kind to join us so we could speak about life on Earth in general. Kara seems really interested, especially after refusing to join me earlier. Might also be due to the caffeine, but I doubt it.

 

After lunch Hayes told me I needed to learn how to handle a P90 properly.

"Why would I need one of those rifles? Wouldn't that attract all sorts of curious people?"

"No, that's why you have the robe...keep it hidden. Whenever you are walking through that forest of theirs, you are at risk. This means that you will need at least some basic training on how to handle a P90 properly. Bravo team won't always be there to back you up. There is much more to it than pulling the trigger and hoping for the best."

"Yeah...I bet there is. So....how? When? Here, in the park?"

"No no no. The police have kindly offered one of their training facilities. Admitting they didn't seal off the park the day you entered it, resulted in them being very generous with support. Anyway, you're going to have to make due with the gun for now, but I want you to be able to properly handle a P90 in a few weeks. We'll have a professional instructor ready for you."

"Yes....sir."

"Excellent, this meeting is almost over, and I expect the following ones to be less intense. Today was a lot for you, Essie. Soon, when things are working out with the Kitsune, you'll watch...not participate in....but watch military training missions. Learn about group interactions, hand signals, anything you can learn will help this project move forward."

"My god.....working for the military sure is hard work."

"Yes, and that's why you love it. I know that smile....I see it all the time."

"Touché. It's like I'm transported into one of my sniper games.....you sure I'm still a civilian, Hayes?"

"Mmmm....you're showing definite signs of improvement."

"Okaaaay...I'll take that as a compliment."

"It was."

"For what's worth...so far I'm loving this job.. The recent midnight intrusion I could do without, but I have one killer of a maid......and the city itself is isekai heaven. So the good parts outweigh the bad ones. It's just a pity I can't take any pictures. Their city is the perfect place to shoot an isekai movie."

Kara definitely liked the comment, she's not smiling, she's beaming.

"Ha ha ha...I bet. But as for those pictures....if you could.....stealthily...take a few pictures...record some video for us....it would help us since we can't go there ourselves. Just don't send them to anyone else."

"Of course, I wouldn't."

"Essie...just enjoy it while it lasts. You never know when these kinds of scenarios end. Either by way of diplomacy...wars...anything."

"Do you expect something bad to happen?" My smile has been replaced by a serious expression.

"Not at all, just speaking from experience. I hope you can act as our liaison officer for quite some time."

"Thanks." I smiled. "I feel the same."

It seems Kara felt the need to say "it's an honor to help your world and mine. I will keep Lady Essie safe and won't be in your way."

"Thank you, I'm counting on your hard work to keep her safe." Hayes said, and it looks like he meant that. "And that concludes our debriefing. You have earned your rest, both of you. Enjoy a relaxing day here and return in the morning. Essie, I want you to focus on meditation and try to do some library research in their world, next to the usual diplomatic stuff."

"Understood."

"Very well. Kara, please put on her robe. You, bring her outside, and an Airman will accompany you. Don't leave the immediate area and only take a quick breather. No sightseeing."

"Of course, you have my word."

"Then try to relax and I'll see you both tomorrow somewhere around 4 pm. Make sense?"

"Sure."

 

Moments later Kara and I have been escorted outside where the temperature is still as chilly as earlier during the press conference.

"Mmmmm..... l love this smell. The air is so clean...so pure here. And so very cold." Kara is taking one deep breath after the other, and really taking the time to look around.

"It's probably the autumn in the air that you're smelling. Ah, nevermind that. I'll explain later."

"What are those iron carriages, Essie?"  She pointed at a nearby tank.

"Those are called tanks. People can step inside and work with them. It's like a carriage, but they are really, really loud and very powerful. These tanks are protecting us."

"Unbelievable. Can you show me how they work?"

"Em...no. It would hurt your ears, trust me."

"Oh, then nevermind. Hey! Your stone, it's glowing!"

I look at my necklace and somehow it must have made its way outside, for all to see. It's like an LED light is hidden inside, shining a very bright blue light. I bet it would even be visible from underneath my clothes. "Whaddayaknow? It actually works. But doesn't this mean that a Phantom is nearby?"

"It should work like that, yes. But then again....we're on Earth now. Maybe it's sensing the portal?"

"Then why not show it sooner? We've been here for quite some time."

"Maybe it needed some time to fill up with magic first?"

"Could be, I mean, the stone is new, I guess. And we don't use magic on Earth. Might take more time to recharge here."

"You....don't use magic here? Seriously?"

"Uh-huh, not a lie, Kara. Humans never even knew it actually existed. We thought magic was a fantasy, something existing only in children's stories. A myth, nothing more."

"I can't believe you can live without it, it's so incredibly convenient!"

"So everyone keeps telling me. But Kara, please keep everything you see and learn here a secret. Commoners are not supposed to see any of this, so it really is an honor for you to even be here."

"Ah, of course. I promise! Thank you for showing me!"

"You're welcome. Let's go back inside, you seem to be shivering from the cold."

"Y...yeah...good idea."

 

We spent the rest of the afternoon inside one of the few containers next to the main building. It's pretty compact, but it beats sleeping in a tent.

Apparently the Air Force has rented the motel I stayed at a while back, and people are moving to and fro there all the time. Imagine that....a whole motel....rented only for the staff working here.

Only a few containers are set-up as personnel living quarters, and we're one of the lucky few to have access to one. The Airman explaining this to us said that even Hayes slept in the motel, but wouldn't tell us why. I guess Hayes reserved one of those container-rooms for us, considering we need to travel frequently through the portal and it wouldn't be a good idea to let Kara leave the protected park.

The container is exactly that. Long metallic walls, with only minimal luxury. There's a single window with blinds to allow us some privacy, but that would remove some of the excellent park-view outside.

There's a very compact shower inside and a bunk bed for us to sleep in. A flatscreen TV is the only luxury we have, except for a small laptop on a side table. Yeah...you don't want to be claustrophobic here.

 

Unfortunately for me, I needed to explain everything again. But Kara is a quick learner and she had no difficulties with the shower or the towels provided. I guess Nanako was a bit spoiled, but let's not tell anyone, I felt sorry for her when she looked so helpless. Kara is very different, brave, curious and asks many questions. If I didn't know any better, I would say that she really likes visiting strange and mysterious far away places. It's exactly the kind of traveling companion, or rather friend, I need for my job. The fact that she's much more than just a maid...or even an assassin, is a welcome bonus. She's kind and polite, and I really like her outgoing personality. Her tail looks incredibly fluffy, but I have to restrain myself from petting it.

In many ways she's similar to me, uncomplicated and always in for some fun. But she's always polite, and never curses....something we don't have in common at all.

Since eating pizza on Earth is something you simply must experience, I ordered one this time as well. And so everything went well, including devouring the pizza, until she saw the bunk beds and the absence of a sleeper.

 

Just when I was about to do the whole Nanako thing with the blankets again, someone knocked on the door, which directly leads to the outside world.

"Excuse me ma'am. I'm not sure if this is correct, but Colonel Hayes has ordered an ..ahem...doggy basket...to be delivered here? Are you expecting such a thing?"

"As a matter of fact, we are!" Well, we weren't exactly expecting it, we only talked about it.

After only five minutes, one really wide sleeper-like doggy basket was brought inside, carried by four people. 

Yes, that's right...carried by four people. First I thought that Hayes must have misunderstood my request, but when noticing the quality of that thing, I noticed that it explained the weight. The staff was less amused that they had to remove the bunk bed first, but there's no other way to fit the thing inside.

 

After peace and order had returned to the VIP container room, I saw Kara staring at the sleeper.

"Go ahead, try 'm out."

"Can I really? You had one bought for me?"

"For us, yes. You are a guest in this world, and I need to get used to those things anyway, so why not?"

Without any delay she removes her shoes and steps inside the sleeper which is now placed where the bunk beds stood only ten minutes ago. At this point I'm quite sure that this room is permanently reserved for the two of us from now on.

When she lies down, curling up to test how sturdy or fluffy the sleeper's walls are, I see her hands gliding over the extra fluffy walls.

I'm not sure what kind of dogs...or horses...they designed this thing for, but it seems to be perfect for us. There is at least twice the fluff in there compared to the one we used in our cottage. The walls are higher too, making me only see her tail hanging over it or the tips of her ears for a moment. It looks sooo cute!

"It's peeeerfect!" She said the magic words.

"Thank god, I'll make sure to let Hayes know. You can relax there, and we'll watch some TV later. I'll need to send Hayes an email first." Yes, I simply ignored the confused look on her face.

After sending a polite thank you email to Hayes, using the room's laptop, I joined her in the sleeper. We're wearing the Air Force training suits as substitute PJs, and Kara seems to have no issues with it.

I'll be changing into my medieval outfit and robe in the morning, but for now.....time for some R&R.

We enjoyed a documentary about the African wilderness and I answered many of her questions, from inside our amazingly fluffy sleeper. She even asked if we could get one of these sleepers back "home."

But that is not going to happen, since I needed to remind her that we probably wouldn't be sleeping there anymore anyway. This is going to be our bedroom, and we'll work in the cottage until around 3pm. But after basically begging me....I had to promise to buy a custom made sleeper or add some fluff to the existing one ourselves. "Just in case we need to stay there overnight." Something tells me we are about to start a new fashion trend for sleepers in Negawa.

With the room lights dimmed, and only the soft emergency light near the doors lit, I asked Kara to prepare for bed. But instead of sleeping, she observed me practicing meditation.

Hayes has asked me to practice meditation, in the hopes it would make me learn more about those Phantoms. Don't ask me why, but it seems she finds it very interesting and is trying to do the same as I do and has promised not to disturb me. We are now both enjoying our fluffy new sleeper while sitting upright against the sleeper's sturdy but equally fluffy wall.

As my thoughts continue to slow down, I hear her breathing and it tells me she's not relaxing, but at some point I'm not even aware of that anymore. Usually my meditation sessions end with me falling asleep, still leaning with my back against the bedroom wall...but this time things are...different.

A few images flash in my mind...but only a few. They are peaceful, natural scenes of Earth. Each image only lasts a nanosecond. Enough for me to recognize, but not long enough to properly enjoy. The more I try to focus on an image, the longer I can keep staring at it. I have never been able to hold these images in my mind longer than this. But now it's like watching a documentary. Perhaps it's what we have watched earlier that is still in my mind somewhere?

I see lions...prairie dogs.....dried up riverbeds, even mountains. From a bird's perspective I see life below me, unaware of my presence. At some point I see the terrain changing into a forest and see birds flying below me. The sky is blue and only a few fluffy clouds are visible.

When I see the oceans, I see mighty whales splashing with tails, dolphins too. I have never before felt so peaceful. Wherever I am...however this works...there is only peace here.

But after a few moments of simply watching nature, I feel a gentle force slowly pulling me down below the ocean's surface...going deeper and deeper. I see many fishes of all sorts and many have bright colors.

When I finally reach the seabed, I feel very relaxed and am enjoying life all around me. Even here, where there should be no light, life is thriving and I can see all around me as if I were walking in daylight.

Suddenly an unwelcome guest swims in front of me, but totally ignores me. It's a Phantom...a live one! But even this didn't startle me, I'm feeling calm and peaceful. Shouldn't I freak out right now?

When I observe the Phantoms around me, I see different kinds of them. Most are the same size, but others are bigger. They really do look like Rhinos, so I didn't imagine that. They don't seem violent at all, simply swimming or walking on the seabed.

Next to them I see many smaller beings, perhaps their offspring. A larger one, resembling a starfish, is walking over the seabed just like their smaller cousins do. But somehow I feel or perhaps know that those beings are related to Phantoms.

Far in the distance I see one that resembles a nautilus, and many others that remind me of snails..big snails. All of these seem to enjoy the ocean currents like any other being. But something inside me tells me that these things shouldn't be here. Their colors are unlike those of any Earth being. I don't know how to explain it...but they seem....unnatural....or simply not belonging here.

Imagine my surprise when all beings, and I mean all of them....are suddenly moving away from me at incredible speeds.

Slowly I see something approaching me from above. First the image is hazy, as if there is fog down here. But the image is slowly getting clearer now.

Oh my god...suddenly I'm faced with a ginormous white squid! Its long, pointy head is scary, but its many tentacles are beyond frightening. I no longer feel relaxed, but feel threat...malice....hatred emanating from it. A single eye is as big as our entire cottage. And the eye is focused on me. I instinctively look back, and know that I should be safe while meditating, but the being is really looking at me...not at something behind me.

Mom told me that you're always safe in meditations so I shouldn't ever worry. And something tells me she's right, but I still feel uncomfortable.

The being continues to observe me......until it speaks. "What are you?"

Wow.... "Em.....I am a human, and I mean you no harm." Let's try the diplomatic approach first.

"No harm? How amusing...and yet you disrupt our thoughts. You are a surface dweller....how can you be here...in our thoughts? Your Swarm is too primitive, too disruptive to speak like this in mind-space."

Yeah, not going to answer that. "What....who are you?"

"We are the Swarm....Unity...Oneness....we are all that is....our thoughts are Unity. We control all that is us. We are one Queen of the Swarm, not unlike the one before me." 

Em...not really helping?

Suddenly I feel a connection between her and all other beings near her, but only for a brief moment. It really feels like she's in control of them.

"Why do you live here in the oceans?" Might as well ask her now that I'm here.

"Same reason as why you are here now....we absorb mana from veins."

Mmm...don't think so. "Do you know that your beings are attacking my people on the surface?"

"Yes, that is their purpose...to protect us. Your mind has potential...join our Swarm. We can share the mana which shall soon come available. Vow your allegiance to me."

Her mind is....strong but also...uncomplicated. It's like an animal who can speak a few words, fully focused on survival. And yet it feels incredibly intelligent. 
"Em....thank you, but no. My body cannot use mana. Can there be peace between the people on the surface and your...Swarm?"

"Peace....is not possible. Your Swarm is harming our Unity."

What the heck is a Swarm anyway? Let's play along for now.
"And your...Swarm...as you called it...is harming us. Let us work together to find a solution. We don't want to kill your kind."

"There is not enough mana here for all, so we send them to kill your Swarm. It frees mana for us and eliminates the threat."

Okay, let me try something else.
"Em....what exactly are the em....surface people doing to harm you? Maybe I can stop them."

"You would? Let me see..." I feel a headache for a moment, but it quickly dissipates.

"You cannot help us. Your Swarm calls this....satellite transmissions. You are sending it from....space...you call it. It hurts our thoughts. More and more....it never ends. The time has come to end your existence. It will free more mana and free us from the pain."

"Will you please recall your beings? Please, please allow us to find a solution together. People will listen to me."

Another headache appeared for a second. I think she's actually scanning my memories.
"Even if you are the Queen of this Earth, as you call yourself,....your Swarm is weak. We have seen your mind...you are a highly destructive race. Your Swarm doesn't understand Unity...you are divided. No....we will exterminate your Swarm. Unity is the only right way."

For the record...I never..never...referred to myself in such a way! She's nuts!

A few images flash through my mind. For a split second I saw this "Queen" flying in space, and all of these beings as well. And when I mean flying, I mean it the biological way. Whether she intended or not, she just told me they are born in space....and feed off substances in space. But occasionally they'll land on planets and...suck energy from their veins, whatever that may mean.

One of the Phantoms now walks towards me on the seabed. It is studying me and I hear its thoughts "help......us." But it doesn't have the chance to continue speaking, because this Queen killed it on the spot, easily shredding it to pieces.

"See? You have witnessed this yourself. Your presence alone is highly destructive to Unity. No longer shall you take the Swarm away from us like you did just now. We will kill each and everyone of the Swarm if we have to....none shall vow their allegiance to you. And when we find you......Queen of Earth.....we shall end your existence like you have witnessed a moment ago. Your mind has potential, but you are still very young and your Swarm is weak. We will find you.

The time of waiting has passed.....prepare for your imminent death for none shall harm the great Queen of the Swarm. RAAAAAAAAAH!!!" Suddenly it opened its mouth and an impressive array of teeth just descended onto me.

"AHHHHH!" Suddenly I find myself back in the sleeper, breathing quickly and using my hands to fight off whatever is near me.

"Essie!!!! Stop!" Kara's voice pulls me back to reality.

I'm gasping for air. It was a meditation, a dream! I'm safe!

One of the guards rushes in and activates the lights, a rifle ready to shoot.
"What happened?" He shouts, while scanning the room for danger.

"Call Hayes! Now! They're coming!" I shouted to the guard.

Since he didn't understand, I tried again.
"We are safe now, but the fucking Phantoms...they're on their way here NOW. Call Hayes, NOW!"

It took me a while to calm down, and all the while the guards kept the VIP room's door open, bringing cold air inside. I put a blanket around Kara and myself to keep warm.

 

After a few minutes Hayes arrives, and he too keeps the door open. He does not look happy. "Essie, this better be important." His voice confirms my suspicions...he must have been sleeping or something. Whatever he was doing, they basically dragged him here.
"Essie?" His voice is calmer when he sees me shivering. "Come, sit down." 

He points at two compact chairs next to the side table, while Kara stays in the sleeper.

I climb out of the sleeper and join him. "She hasn't said much, master Hayes," Kara said, trying to be helpful.

Hayes ignored the master part and tried to get me to talk. It took a few moments, but somehow his presence made me return to my senses again. "Essie? You called for me, now talk."

"Hayes.....they're coming."

"Yes, tell me more."

"You asked me to meditate...so I did. But when I did, I met...the Swarm Queen on the seafloor. She basically told me that our satellite transmissions are disrupting their minds or something. And she was absolutely pissed that one of the Phantoms tried to ask for my help. She killed it instantly. 

Hayes! She's pure evil! A mind like an animal....with animal reasoning skills, but still capable of thinking in an organized way. So much hatred....she said they are feeding from mana veins in the ocean, whatever they are. She feels that she's vastly superior to us and calls us disruptive and such things. Then she said she would find me and end me....all of us. The time is up....she said.....she's going to wipe us out!"

"Fuck." Was all he said, blinking a few times, then scratching his unshaved chin. His expression tells me this information is not really new to him.

"Huh?" I said, expecting to hear more details.

"It seems you are spot on again. You pulled me away from a briefing where I received an early warning. Microwave radio telemetry showed that many dots are suddenly on the move, like regrouping. Right after you sent the guard for me."

"So.....you believe me?"

"The evidence supports your story, so yes. Kara....do you know what mana veins are?" He asked.

"Yes, they are pure energy. It's what makes our world alive. All life is formed from mana and it's also the primary, raw, undiluted form of magic."

"Okay, you have to explain that sometime." Hayes said, after which Kara nodded in agreement.

"But, Hayes, what are we going to do?" I asked. Suddenly I see my gemstone light up like a lamp once more.

"Relax. Their movements are slow. It seems we'll have weeks to prepare......Essie? Why is that thing glowing?"

I didn't respond because I saw more images flashing in my mind. Only when he touched my hand, I returned to reality.

"Usually means Phantoms nearby." Kara said, matter of factly.

Hayes nods, but focuses on me. 
"What happened, Essie? Did you hear something?"

Our eyes lock again, and I'm looking really serious now.
"Hayes....there are more beings. Just now...I saw a huge one. I mean the Queen was already huge.....but this one is...an....a tripod! Three legs....and incredibly tall. I saw images from its perspective. It looked down at the Phantoms on the seafloor like ants appear to humans. 

It felt like a memory...an event long ago. Then I saw a smaller Phantom, like the one we shot .....and it moved through the portal! They know of the portal!"

"Continue..." He said, nodding slowly.

"Then that tripod spoke to me....I mean, I could feel it talking to me. It said.. beware the destroyers. Help us. Free us. Hear us. The Queen must be...  And then I lost the ...whatever it was. Almost the same message as before."

"Destroyers....that could mean anything. And the portal....that supports our theory of how those Phantoms ended up here in the first place. They didn't come walking from our oceans...they're from the other side! I will brief the General and will recommend preparing for a large scale Phantom attack. I will also ask for reinforcements on both sides of the portal."

"Hayes....there is more."

"You're kidding me..."

"No.....I just remembered. They originally came from space. Whether the Queen did this on purpose or not....I could see how they were born in space, live there. They feed off whatever is in space. But sometimes they land on planets...and use mana veins for food."

"Interesting. So that too rules out their origin as beings from Earth."

"Yes. And there are several types of Phantoms. Snails, tripods and also nautiluses...nautilai...na...whatever."

"Yes...I understand." He takes a deep breath. "Is there anything else you want to share?"

"No, but what should I do? They're coming for us. Do you need my assistance?"

"I don't. Rest assured, Essie. We have time. You two try to relax and sleep. I'm still counting on you to continue doing your job on the other side. We'll take care of things on this end. When you are on BETA, focus on learning about those Phantoms. Find a library, whatever they have there. But I suggest that you stop the meditations until you can find a way to better deal with them. They probably shouldn't occur when you are wide awake. At least not on the other side of the portal."

"Understood. But...be honest...how did you know that meditation would work?"

"I didn't. Remember when I visited your parents?"

"Yeah?"

"Your mom made me remind you to keep meditating. Something about cleaning your seven chanas or something?"

"He he he....chakras, yeah...that's my mom alright. She's into that stuff."

"Yes, that was fairly obvious. But I thought it would help you relax. Never in my right mind would I have thought you capable of hearing their thoughts from thousands of miles away."

"That makes two of us."

"Well, it definitely means that your brain is very interesting to the science people. But that can wait until this madness is over. Will you be okay?"

"Yeah....and Kara is here too."

Kara put her arm around me to show her support, which helped me feel relaxed.

"Very well. There's a guard right outside. If anything happens, just....yell like you did last time. I can be here in minutes. This information is vital, so never delay this, even if it's in the middle of the night."

"Yes, I will. And thanks for believing me."

"Essie, go to sleep. We can now track their movements, so we'll be fine. Besides, even if you are on the other side, we can get you here within the hour."

"That's true, okay. Alright....good night, Hayes."

"Same to you." And Hayes left us, after which the door was closed for us.

It took some time until I could feel sleepy again, but Kara once more pulled me into their sleeping position and at some point my brain must have simply shut down.