The Ghost

Chapter 9

My heart nearly stops at the mere thought of Catherine, for a moment it's like time has been frozen and I turn around drawing out my gun, sure that the mission has failed and we are surrounded by enemy troops...

However, the Ghost that is pointing her stun gun at Traveler is not Catherine, but a blond, cold-looking woman that I remember very well from my days in this place.

"What are you doing?!" Healer Kate screams with surprise and fear, and then, still pointing her weapon at Traveler, she realizes that we are kidnapping all of these Ghosts that were under her care- "No! Stop! Bring them back!"

"Hello Kate, you are coming with us..." I say, my Glock pointing straight at her chest.

Kate is too shocked and terrified to do anything, and even though the stun gun is ready in her hand, she is surrounded by seven McKinley Agents ready to open fire against her. The lonely Healer is looking all around her in a desperate attempt to escape, but it seems that she was the only officer here tonight and nobody will come to rescue her...

"I want them back!" she screams, more worried about the kidnapped Ghosts than she is about her own life.

Jeremy advances towards Kate intent on capturing her alive, but then, Traveler lowers her hood and takes off her eyeglasses revealing her glowing red eyes...

"Kate, what we are doing is wrong! Stealing bodies, destroying worlds that belong to other species... We cannot do this anymore."

"Traveler?" Kate whispers, shocked to discover that a Ghost is with us- "How is this possible?"

"I have known the humans better, they are just trying to fight for the world that we are stealing from them" Traveler says, her voice soft and sweet- "We have destroyed their lives, but they are stronger than other species, that's why they still survive- Kate, come with us, you can start a better life..."

"They don't understand us, we do this for the Greater Good!"

"There is no good in what we do, we have to stop..."

"Traveler, it's not too late to come back!"

Jeremy has stopped in his tracks, awaiting to hear Traveler's answer to Kate. I am frozen as I listen to every word that they say, the other Agents are ready to open fire and it seems that Traveler is actually thinking about it...

"Kate, Earth is now my..."

Kate loses control at last, her hand moves so fast and the stun gun releases a purple lightning that hits and knocks out a female Agent to my left. That was all, I know it's over... Jeremy fires his Kalashnikov three times, Traveler screams and Kate, releasing a last scream, takes the hits squarely and collapses to the ground.

The Healer is gasping in a pool of her own blood, but when I advance to deliver a mercy hit, her eyes are not looking at me at all...

"Traveler" Kate whispers, trying to raise her left hand- "Traveler, please..."

Traveler looks at her old Healer a last time, and then, I point my gun well and Kate's suffering comes to a sudden end. Jeremy is hugging a crying Traveler while the other Agents finish taking away the sleeping Ghosts, and then, we return to the jet ready to fly back to the McKinley.

We take off as silently as a whisper in the night, my heart broken as Traveler, comforted by Jeremy, cries all the way back to the snowy mountain that we call our home.

34-

The great metal doors are closing automatically behind us while our delta-shaped craft lands softly, the jet's red lights are turned off and we find ourselves surrounded by total darkness.