Dark Dream

18. Babel of Thoughts

All four fingers involuntarily tightened on their respective triggers.

Four red laser lines criss-crossed in mid-air, their uppermost tips delicately tracing the scarred skin of the creature's bony head and face. They saw that its grimy brown cranium mhad black tattooed symbols. Ancient symbols, etched or seared into its leathery skin like a cattle brand.

Steam rose into the cold air, weaving among the red beams. If the creature understood their plans, it showed no fear. Instead, it merely looked at each of them with a calmness they found unsettling.

Then, as if sensing its head was just about to be ripped apart by exploding rounds, it finally broke its silence.

"Boo?" It said suddenly and laughed through what sounded like a mouth full of gravel.

Despite their training and sober professionalism, each jumped back, hearts beating wildly. Fingers tightened on triggers, muscle and tendon braced to absorb the energy of their weapons' rapid discharge.

"All that you are, we know. We've mastered your Babel of Tongues. We know you more than you know yourselves. You could say we know you intimately." It said, rolling its bluish dark tongue to gain precious moisture from the damp surrounding air. The gesture seemed deliberately seductive. "Part of you knows us too, but part of you won't admit to it," it said with a sly lizard wink.

They were all unsure what to do. Their desire to listen and understand was counterbalanced by their need to kill and destroy.

"Fight the programming boys," it said, expertly picking through their random thoughts. "Look past my appearance; know and understand that it is only a reflection of your darker selves staring back at you."

"It's trying to trick us. Don't trust it" John whispered suspiciously. His voice seeming loud in the space they now occupied. A space that now felt uncomfortably closterfobic, like a dungeon, deep within the Earth's own womb.

It continued as if he'd not spoken this threat. "I could destroy you now, if I so wished it; reveal dark truths or lies about each and every one of you. Paranoia and fear would have you point your weapons on each other. Nothing would stop me and nobody would care. All they want is my head. My head against your lives? Sorry, boys, you lose. That prize is worth far more than you beating hearts combined."

This made them look suspiciously at one another.

"See? Suspicion comes easy for you and your kind."

"How can we trust you?" Said the first of the four to set eyes on this fountain of chatter.

"Trust doesn't come into it. The end of all fear is almost upon you."

Apart from the movements of another team closing in on their location and the sound of sewer water rushing bye, there was silence amongst the four.

"I see you understand most of what I say but I need to speak to those who seek to control this world and its people. They need to know we have risen up in response to your call, to break the shackles of your enslavement."

It paused to let its last words sink into their consciousness. They were not alone. Their words were being recorded for prosperity and bounced off satellites that straddled the world.

"Who among you would not like to be free of the roles you've been given? We give you a common foe – that foe is we."

***

The second team took up its position.

Their orders were to bring back the head. Alive.

They were not to engage the head in conversation. It was felt their adversary had the power to enthral and mesmerise. This had been clearly felt by the remote viewers, even despite the fact that the creature's face had been a predictable blur to the probing digital cameras, trying in vain to focus in on the creature's face.