Episode 5: Doctors Orders

Somewhere in time and, well, open space at least.

“Mom?” Piper Sophia Ridge stood below her mother’s floating astral body, ghostly form, whatever she was at the moment. “Is it really you?”

“I’m here Sophia.” Her voice more distant than at first as if a pale comparison to her original speech to inform her daughter of her feelings toward Sophia’s lack of clothing.

Reaching up with hesitant fingers to touch her mother, her hand passed right through the apparition’s body. As if a warning call Sophia, then paused to listen to her parasitic friends within. They were a source of immediate knowledge that impressed her enough to ramble off a diagnosis to assist the others as much as herself. “Jack’s biochemistry and mom’s connection to her wedding ring that I’m wearing somehow bonded us. Elle was the channel. Mom latched onto her because she was the last to touch her ring.”

Eleanor Franklin looked haunted by her possession, her friend Malcolm Brand stepping in to comfort her. She needed the shoulder for certain with this strange shock to her system. Jack Ramse, now joined by Ruby Goddard moved closer to Madigan but withheld trying to touch her form. Ruby the highest-ranking officer here took point to strike up conversation and hope to learn more. This was well beyond being out of all of their league. So much so that pilot Cameron Scott was humming the tune to Ghostbusters beneath his breath. Nerves were high!

“Welcome back, Mrs. Ridge.” Ruby hesitates.

“How am I back?” Madigan peered down at her former passengers then lifted her arms to look at her palms. She even attempted to touch herself and phased right through her hands. “Obviously, I’m a ghost.” A tantrum brewing had no tears, but the emotions were high strung.

“Keep calm, Maddy.” Jack directs.

“Calm? I’m dead Asshole. How is this possible?”

“Mom!” Sophia waved drawing her mother’s attention back on her, “You didn’t leave me. Your ring grounds us together. It was a Dr. Frankenstein move. Jack’s new bio- chemistry within his DNA offered enough electricity to draw you out. His so-called weaver bug is a healer. He might not have been able to save your body but between all of us we saved your spirit. I think this place we’re in causes temporal fluxes. Your spirit was just waiting to crawl out. We pulled you through.”

Ruby raises an eyebrow, “Since when are you so knowledgeable? Now you’re a female James Ian?”

“My friends are explaining it to me. I’m just telling you all what they tell me.” Sophia shrugs. “So not the nerd.”

While everyone communed, Elle felt an odd tingling sensation in her left arm, nothing painful, merely a cool tingle. Shivering she looks over at Malcolm holding her close. He notes her eyes become glossy and stares deeply into them, for a second, he was so close she thought he was going to kiss her. Weirded out she mumbles his name, “Malibu?” Nickname that is!

“Are you okay, Elle?” Malcolm asks. “You’ve always had beautiful eyes, but now, wow! I see a sparkle in those big brown orbs that I’ve never noticed before.” He eased back sensing tension that he was far too close in feeling one another’s breath over the other’s lips.

“Just a chill. I’m fine.” She pats his hand and notices the blisters from digging all of the graves.

“No gloves around. They’ll heal in time.”

As her right hand touches his he feels a fire enter his body. Without a moment to ponder he turns his palm to face up and literally watches his calluses and blisters instantly heal. Faith healer much? A Dear God, moment arose within him.

“BEEJEEZUS!” He releases Elle to examine his hands, “What did you just do?”

In response to his buddy, Cameron Scott moved in to check it out as Elle steps back to look at her own open palms. Right hand just fine, her left hand however was shimmering beneath the skin. In the daylights brightness her flesh twinkled in small favors. The beautiful medic didn’t know what to make of it all.

Malcolm in his realized health shot a glance toward Jack and Ruby showing them his hands, “What do you make of that? Clean bill of health. Hell, it feels like I just used hand lotion. Smooth as a baby’s bottom.”

Attention divided Jack stays with Maddy Ridge and her daughter Sophia. He felt that was where the true concern should be on a mental level. Trauma was often a bitch in the field. Ruby however, felt in charge and had to question everything. She looks at Elle for insight.

“Did that situation earlier do something to you too?” Ruby narrows her eyes at Elle.

“It was certainly a weird feeling but I’m fine. It’s almost like something entered my body like a possession maybe but that sensation is gone now.” Leaving Jack with Sophia and Madigan, Ruby takes the necessary steps to examine her medic. Holding Elle’s still shimmering left hand she touched her palm as if a psychic looking over life and love lines, “Can you feel my nail? What about this? Your skin feels harder than it should be.”

Elle puckers, “Feels the same to me.”

“Maybe you should have James Ian check you out. You and Jack both touched Sophia so maybe her tiny critters did something to you.”

“I’m fine Ruby.” Elle reclaims her hand, “Please don’t fuss over me. There are more pressing things like poltergeists.” She hated horror movies.

Ruby narrows her eyes with a firm scowl, “Who outranks you?” Elle in reaction to authority fidgets then turns away, returning to the ship. Malcolm watching her reluctant stroll away waited until she hit the stairwell ramp before looking at his palm again. Her own detective work led Ruby to nudge closer and now look him over. “You’re right Baby Soft! This place just gets weirder all the time. Go join Elle and James. Explain what happened to him and get checked out yourself.”

Malcolm nods in agreement and traipses away. As soon as he’s gone Cameron Scott joins Ruby. “Okay Colonel, Ruby Lou! Aliens. Crazy insects performing surgery. Pterodactyl’s. Possessions. Ghosts. What’s next?” He fiddles with his ball cap.

Ruby offered him an expression of uncertainty, “I’m not sure what the difference between good news and bad news is anymore. I’ll say this much, Jack being back on his feet helps my nerves. He seems fit and on top of things so that’s a plus. Not much shocks him, he accepted this whole extraterrestrial thing far better than I predicted. Sophia? Little worried about her new friends as she calls them, micro computers or not. Maybe not computers but come on how do microscopic parasites have genius IQ’s? Between you and I, her mother’s ghost freaks me out. Still, if her mom’s around then Sophia might keep her sanity. I just hope we do.”

“We never did test that bird to see if it’s edible. Longer it rots over there he won’t be good anyway. I guess the fact it looks intact means there’s no other predators nearby.” Cameron points out.

“At the moment. My gut says it’s just a matter of time. Go ahead while you have it on your mind. Grab a sample and get it to James. Keep the kid busy so he doesn’t get into trouble. If it’s good, we can grill out tonight.”

“On it.” He immediately leaves her for the decaying dinosaur. No flies were in his favor. Weird even that!

Hands in her pockets Ruby watched him strike out toward his dinner date then chose to return to Jack’s side. He had been communicating the entire time with the ghost of Madigan Ridge, trying to help the deceased cope.

“Maddy, I know this is crazy but at least we still have you with us in some fashion. This is better than not at all.” Jack stands with arms folded.

Sophia agreed, “Exactly! I need you mom.”

“What you need is clothing young lady.” Nothing ever changed. Maddy’s persona even unto death was a nitpicker.

“Speak for yourself. You do realize your clothing leaves your body when you go to the spirit world, right. You’re just as naked as I am.”

As if stunned Madigan peers at herself unable to touch her own body with a look of awe. She had failed to notice her lack thereof in all of the drama. Jack lowered his gaze suddenly; he knew exactly what was coming next.

“Stop looking at me Soldier. That’s an order.” As if she had her husband’s rank of General Maddy shouts, embarrassed even from the afterlife, her sudden outburst deafening. The booming echo like effect forcing Ruby and Jack to hold their ears. It was almost damaging to their hearing. Ruby worst of all. The scream made Maddy offer a terrified look, “Oh, my God. I’m sorry. I didn’t know I would cause that. I’ll try and remain calm.”

Ruby entering the fray with care, ears singing to her holds a hand of silence up, “Mrs. Ridge? Maddy, please hold it down a few decibels. There’s not much we can do to clothe either of you. We are all adults here, well, most of us so we just have to get used to it, until we find an alternative. If ever!”

Sophia snorts, “Just be glad daddy bought you that boob job. Somehow you kept that look at least.”

Maddy frowns, “Uncalled for.”

“Sorry mom! I couldn’t resist.”

Jack picks up on a new sound around them more in the line of instinct. It was almost a hissing noise that filtered through every pore of his body, not just ears and nostrils. Astonished that even his hearing had evolved to such a degree it activated his defenses. Scanning around for the sounds he followed the trail of the disturbance. Ruby stood dumbfounded by his reaction but follows him none the less, his lead bringing them back over to where the aliens had been dissolved by James Ian Pryce. The ground to which they lay was literally bubbling up before them like molten lava.

“What now?” Ruby scowled, standing behind Jack as if giving him her baton of command. Nice shoulders. Even under pressure Ruby still found it in her to let her guard down. Jack had always been on her radar even married. Faithful to his career Ruby never stood a chance.

Before their questioning eyes more ghosts rose from the soil. Six to be precise. The dead Goranthians floated as Maddy was doing. However, they were not responding as she was. Their gaze was affixed and looking toward the horizon. In seconds they merely drifted away into the distance as if following a breeze. The only thing was, that gentle wind was against them.

“I wonder where they’re going?” Jack squints.

Maddy reacts to them as well remaining vigil where she had been hovering with Sophia, “I can hear something calling out to me. A soft reassuring but controlling voice. I’m staying here. For some reason, I have a choice I think.”

“It’s our bond. Yours, mine, Elle, and Jack. I think you are part of all of us.” Sophia adds. “We’re anchoring you here.” Parasitic guess!

Jack squints testing his vision’s increase as he watches the Goranthians fade away. He would educate the distance to be just under a mile. He smirked to himself, liking the newfound enhancements that Weaver bug had imbued him with. Patting his arm Jack spoke in his thoughts. “Thanks, Little Buddy. Buggy!” He owed him that much.

Ruby snaps her fingers in front of him to recapture his attention. He merely winked at her then turned away, his focus reverting toward Madigan Ridge. He had a valid question in mind.

“Are you connected to the Goranthians too?”

She creases her brow, “Strangely, I think I can feel them. Their spirits are being pulled against their will. I sense fear in them. Should I know the same fear?”

Jack shrugs, “You resisted. I would say no. Keep resisting. Obviously, we know very little about this place we’re in. The more we learn the better. I know you’re traumatized, so are we. If you learn more about your state or your surroundings, please let us know.”

Maddy nods then peers down at her physical body below, “I think you should bury me. I don’t imagine I’ll be going back to that body. I look horrible.”

Jack agreed, “I dug you a private grave. Respect and all.”

Maddy smiles, “Place me with the others. I’m fine with that.”

Driven by courtesy he then crouched down to gather her body up and moves to the larger grave of corpses. Stepping down into it he lays her to rest. Once out of the hole Jack Ramse begins shoveling dirt back into the hole. Ruby joined him with a second shovel. Within the hour they were done. Sophia simply kept her mother busy filling her in on her tiny roommates. Mother was worried but at the same time sensed a protective nature in her rearranged cell structure. The organisms seemed to be friendly yet how could they be when they were all but cannibals. She would need further convincing.

Burial plot complete Jack and Ruby then stood vigil over the grave and saluted the fallen. No cross! No crossover! Rest well good people! Silence was necessary.

Peace.

Eleanor Elle Franklin marveled at her left arm’s tingly sensations; the effect having moved along from her hand up her past her bicep. The shimmer was beautiful, becoming more and more evident as if a continual evolution. She and Malcolm Brand sat next to each other awaiting young genius James Ian Pryce to examine his tests of their DNA, his due to her healing effect on his calluses. After twenty minutes he returns from the next room and could hardly contain his excitement.

“This place is amazing!” He nearly danced in a circle but regained his composure.

Malcolm narrowing his brow at the boy’s enthusiasm made him worry even more, “What did you find out?”

“Well! Your natural healing ability was increased a thousand-fold. I’m only guessing at this point, but I think the jolt Elle got from Jack carried over some of his healing factor. Not only can she heal herself quickly, I think her touch releases the necessary neurons to replicate scar tissue back into its original state. Obviously, there’s no way to test this theory further without a test subject.” As if on cue Cameron Scott enters holding a meaty slab of Pterodactyl.

“Ruby said for you to test this bird before we eat it.”

James Ian swiftly forces him to drop the chunk of meat on a table next to them and examines his hands. “Careful kid, I cut myself. Tough bird. Any disinfectant around?” Eyes wide at his patient come true test subject, James quickly disinfects Cameron’s right hand before pushing him over to Elle.

“Hold his hand.” James prompts.

Cameron in response offers a queer expression, “We’re not even dating kid.”

Elle giggled with a faint exhale before offering a gravitated palm over Cameron’s cut. “Not my type, Camshaft, but I will hold hands just this once.” Upon contact the tiny incision seals and vanishes before their eyes. Elle almost jumped away in her amazement. “What does this mean?”

“Wow. That felt weird. Ummm! Thanks?” Cameron is taken back.

“How do You think I feel?” Elle endorses her anxiousness, “Imagine if I could have done that with Jacks severed arm.”

James grins, “Full circle! Without Jack, I don’t think you would be this way. The Weaver bugs enzymes not only energized every cell in Jack’s body, I think it increased his electrical impulses. I’m pretty sure he can generate small doses of electricity and can focus it like a taser. When he touched you outside while you held onto Mrs. Ridge that electricity zapped through you and her corpse.”