Alien or Alian
Chapter 13: After Thinking

The west part of Belrynn University housed all the buildings that pertained to programs of the liberal arts and other professional studies. In the furthermost quarter stood one of the smallest structures which held quite a number of the examinations. An obscure distance away from the entrance, Ozias and Ezra had retreated to a secluded corner that was bordered by a silver rusted wire fence.

The campus bellowed silence, and Ozias wondered if that would give the black blob an advantage in finding them. Maybe it didn’t need the silence. Maybe it possessed some ability like super hearing. He shuddered. The sight of that blob sticking out of his language theory professor’s head like a sore thumb was still fresh in his memory.

The petite metal bench he was resting on was anything but comfortable, especially with the brumal wind picking up, but it at least had a clear view of the direction he and Ezra came from. If the blob had managed to find them, they’d be able to catch sight of it soon enough to have a head start.

“....yeah, I can see the back of a fancy science building from here,” Ezra spoke into his phone. Nina was on the other end, assembling as much information from her son as she could to mobilize the most secure rescue mission. “Right by this fence, and there’s a bench near it too. ...Yeah, we’ll wait here. Okay...okay got it.” The call ended, and Ezra spun back around to see Ozias absentmindedly hunching forward and hugging his tibias. He hurried over to take up the leftover spot on the bench, and asked, “you okay, Oz?”

Ozias sat up halfway and let the edges of his palms park themselves just above his kneecaps. “I saw it…” he whispered, “the blob. It was just a piece of it, but it was like some kind of second head all together.”

Ezra grimaced. “I hate that you saw that. I actually thought we could get through this whole mess without you witnessing that thing in person, let alone being so close to getting hurt by it. I’m sorry, Oz.”

“No no, don’t be. Compared to me, what you saw and experienced...out there,” he was still trying to get used to referring to being ‘in space’ as a regular thing that the local aliens did, “was way more intense than I could ever imagine.”

“Yeah I guess…” Ezra leaned his forearms on his knees in an onerous slouch. “But at least then it didn’t talk.”

“What? It spoke to you? Through Mr. Halton? Like english, or...or something else?”

“Yeah, english. It was really slurring its words though, but I’m pretty sure it said ‘you not human, me feel it, you become with me’, which hardly makes sense at all.”

“Wait.” Ozias swiveled sideways to face Ezra, bending his right leg and tucking the ankle under his thigh. “The first time you and your team saw the blob, it took over Kaine’s body.”

“Right.”

“But then when you guys crashed it got separated from his body, so it went looking for another one. The next body it found was Mr. Halton, but he’s half alian, and you and Kaine are entirely alian. I think that’s why it wanted you, it needed a host that wasn’t human at all. ’You become with me’. Maybe it means to merge with you or something.”

Ezra sagged against the bench, a confounded exhale slipping out and desperation overcoming him. “Host? Merge? Maybe there is an impending invasion.”

Feeling uncharacteristically brave, Ozias moved a comforting hand over Ezra’s and gave it a light squeeze. He failed at trying to do it in a way that wasn’t too obvious, but right now he didn’t care if Ezra noticed or not.

Their semblance of a moment was interrupted by the neighboring shouts of familiar voices. Nina headed the herd of Ethen, Sid, and a few other faces that Ozias had seen around the Knillimhyr household and secret laboratory.

“Ezra, darling! Oh finally!” The perturbation in Nina’s voice had overrun her usual delicate tone. She scampered the rest of the gap to Ezra, who had risen from the bench upon the Knillimhyr/Corte arrival. His eyes squeezed shut as soon as she enveloped him in her arms, and he promptly returned the gesture, realizing just how terrified he really was after his second run-in with the blob.

Still, he tried to convince her, “I’m fine, mom. We’re both fine.”

“Nonsense.” Nina assessed any exposed skin of Ezra’s. “You’re gelid in some places, I can feel it. Ozias, come, let me take a look at you.”

Ozias was already standing near her, but still he strode two steps closer and locked his fingers together behind his back. Nina’s now authoritative demeanor commanded the couth action. Nina gave a quick inspection of Ozias’ hands, chest and face before tugging him in for another engulfing embrace. She didn’t stop him as he rested his head on her jacketed shoulder. He was suddenly reminded of his parents, of all the times they would comfort him with tender hugs, and for once he was glad they were still somewhere far away in the world.

“Are you alright?” Nina whispered by his ear.

Ozias nodded once against her shoulder, “yes, I’m fine. I didn’t touch him at all.”

Nina shook her head. “Not about what you felt, but what you saw. I assume that whatever shred of skepticism you had left about all this was scarred beyond repair after your close encounter.”

It was a long moment of silence, and Ozias could feel two different hands consoling him; Nina rubbed the small of his back while Ezra clasped one of his shoulders.

“I’ll be fine,” Ozias said at last, and quietly as he lifted his head to look Nina in the eyes. “But, will Mr. Halton be okay? Is it possible to take the blob out of him?”

Another, short, lapse of silence until Nina finally answered, “we’re going to do everything we can to help him, I promise you that.”

“When did this happen to Mr. H. anyway?” Ezra solemnly asked.

“Mrs. Halton told us that he got home late last night acting weird,” Ethen started. “She tried talking to him but then he started throwing things at her. Books, furniture — anything nearby.”

“Unfortunately she caught a blow to the head that was just too much, and passed out,” Sid continued. When she came to a couple hours ago, Halton was gone. Then she called us. We got her to the infirmary back at the lab, and as it turns out she made it out of that throw-fest with just a concussion.”

“But she was lucky,” Nina added. “That creature could have done much worse, and with the face of someone she loves...Oh, sweet Tandy…” A tear escaped the crook of her eye and trailed down her cheek, and Ozias took it upon himself to tug her back in for a tender embrace. “Ozias, right now you need to be out of harm’s way. So Ezra will-”

“No,” Ezra broke in. Bewildered looks instantly flocked to him and he continued before anyone could jump in. “This mess is partly all my fault. I can’t stay on the sidelines while everyone else is trying to clean it up. Sorry mom, and sorry, Oz. I gotta do this. I’m well enough now that I can at least help out in the lab.”

Nina looked all but pleased. “...you, Kaine, Lyza, Dimitri...all becoming even more stubborn juveniles.”

Ezra sported a micro grin. It wasn’t exactly a yes from his mother, but it wasn’t a no either.

Then a phone thrummed, and Ethen briskly pulled the device from his pocket. “What’s going on?” he said to the person on the other end. “...What? Are you sure?... I’ll let her know. We’ll get back to you.” He ended the call, and released a sigh that was laden with frustration. “Mr. Halton’s gone. There was a blood trail but it went cold. They’re going to sweep the building again and they’ll clean up the blood, but we need to get more teams out there searching the whole campus now. He couldn’t have gone far.”

“Sounds like the best course of action,” Sid chimed in. “And while you all are doing that, I’ll take Ozias back to his place.”

“What? Seriously?” Ezra said.

Sid shrugged. “You’ve made a valid point, Spacewalker. This is your mess, so you should take responsibility. I’ll make sure he gets home safe.”

There was some hesitation lurking on Ezra’s face but ultimately he said, “fine. Just text me as soon as you’re back there.”

Sid gave him a half mocking, half serious salute. “Will do.”

“Remember to stay alert, and move quickly until you get to your car,” Nina instructed.

“Of course, Ms. K.” Sid gave a passing pat on Ethen’s back, just as Ethen did the same to Sid’s shoulder, a silent goodbye between the two. “Come along, Ozias.” He started ushering Ozias further down the path past the bench, while Ezra, Ethen and Nina started on course back towards the examination building.

Ozias looked back once again, something in his chest and the pit of his stomach aching and fretting as he watched the Knillimhyrs go. This time Ezra looked back as well, his expression unreadable for a split second before curving into something assuring. But Ozias had seen the illegible look loud and clear, and he was suddenly feeling even more worried now.

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