The Sisters: The Curse of Gabriel's Gardens

Messengers

Alexis woke up with a feeling she hadn't felt in ages - true happiness. Every time the depression caused by Marlene's death crept up on her, the thoughts about Anna effectively blocked them and gave the girl a dose of dreamy euphoria instead.

She had to make sure that yesterday didn't happen only in her dreams - it wouldn't be the first time she dreamed about getting close with her impaired best friend. She came to a conclusion that it really happened, even though it was still hard to believe.

They spent the last evening by slowly accepting their unusual love. Their first kisses were quick and shy, sometimes accompanied by uncontrollable bursts of giggling, but later on, they progressively became more intense and passionate. They spent a long time staring into each other's eyes, quietly admiring their beauty while their favorite love songs from the bands Starset, Skillet and, of course, Sleeping Entropy spoke the words they wanted to say.

Alexis remembered when they touched with their foreheads, exhausted and out of breath after an especially long and intense kiss... and then bursted out laughing when Alexis' glasses slipped and fell on Anna's lap.

Anna's lips were so warm and soft and Alexis found herself desperately craving for more. They aspired to be another one of her harmless addictions next to books and music. Fortunately, Diane took Dante for a long walk to avoid Alexis' grumpy mood. That way, she didn't have to witness their initial intimacy, even though the fresh lovers agreed that they can't keep it secret for too long. When Diane returned, Alexis' mood turned 180 degrees - Alexis didn't want her sister to suspect she's becoming bipolar while she only found the most effective cure for her awful moods.

She jumped out the bed while quietly singing to herself: "One day the Earth will open wide, and I'll follow you inside, 'cuz the only Hell I know is without you..." while maintaining a silly smile. She didn't want to act like a teenage girl madly in love... but she was exactly that, so why not? After debilitating weeks of depression, she had a right to experience something mushy and cheerful.

After she prepared the breakfast, someone opened the door and went in. Alexis' heart skipped a beat because she was sure about who it is - besides her and Diane, only one person had a keycard to their flat.

Alexis and Anna exchanged warm smiles, then the fair-haired girl leaned to hug her girlfriend and greet her with a kiss on the forehead.

"C'mon, Lexie," Anna smirked. "Isn't it a bit weaksauce compared to all that making out from yesterday?"

Alexis leaned to her once again and finally seized Anna's lips, satisfying her needs. Judging from Anna's passion, she felt the same craving. Alexis found it impossible - someone actually longing for her presence, desiring her kiss, someone actually loving her. But here it was - a girl who was, unlike Marlene, able to appreciate and return her love.

She remembered Alyssa's words: I'm sure you'll even be able to find true love. You just have to look around you, sometimes it's closer than you think.

You were right. Thank you, Alyssa.

Her blissful moment was interrupted by a loud shout: "What the actual hell is happening?"

Alexis detached from Anna's lips and turned around to see Diane in her sleepwear with a shocked expression on her face. Alexis smiled nervously. "You're up early today, Dee," she said. "We wanted to break it to you a bit more carefully, but now..."

"H-how long?" Diane voiced.

Anna looked at her wristwatch. "It's eight in the morning... so I guess... fifteen hours already."

"So that's why were you so jolly yesterday evening!" Diane said. "Thank God! I honestly thought you're going nuts. Well, that explains it all!"

"Do you mind?" Anna said shyly.

Diane bursted out laughing. "Why the hell should I? My sister and my best friend are dating - that's, like, the best thing ever! At least I can be sure that you both found the right person. And you were also made for each other, you nerds. Come on! Show me one more smooch!"

The lovers laughed and enjoyed one more quick kiss.

All three girls sat in the kitchen to have breakfast. "I'm glad you took it so well, Dee," Alexis said. "After all we went through... I think we deserve love without being judged."

"If someone ever made fun of you or tried to trash you, I'd beat them to a bloody pulp," Diane said. "You two gaybies are now officially under my protection."

Anna raised her hand. "I object against the term gaybies. I'm a bisexual."

"Eh, call it whatever you want. I'm just happy you're together, that's all. I'm just a bit disappointed that my boring nerd sister found love sooner than me, hot and cool chick."

"That's probably you manage to completely destroy and discourage every guy you meet within two sentences," Anna smirked. "You should try to be more welcoming."

"Try to be welcoming when eighty percent of male communication towards you is catcalling. Sometimes I think it'd be easier if I liked girls, too, but no matter what homophobes say, you can't just simply turn gay."

Alexis laughed. "Your time will come, I'm sure. We can try to pair you off with someone. Just tell me what you seek and we can arrange something."

"Diane has only one condition: he has to be hot," Anna noted.

"C'mon, Annie," Diane looked offended. "I'm not that shallow. For example, I'd never fall for Kyle like Marlene did, even though he was hot as hell. And neither for Gray Forrestal - he's too snobbish for me."

"Too bad," Anna said. "You and Gray were my ship."

Alexis finished her breakfast and turned on her laptop. "Let's see what happened while we were asleep," she said - checking the news was among the first things she did every morning. Usually, she found only news about murders and other crimes or gossip about local celebrities. Lately, the Gardens news website also contained many articles about Kyle Fletcher's death. But today, something interesting showed up after all.

<<>>

"Look at this," Alexis pointed at one of the articles:

A scientist finds a mysterous metal tablet. "It's made of unknown materials," he claims.

"This looks like some kind of hoax," Diane said sceptically. "These 'forbidden archeology' items are found really often and are usually debunked somehow. It's usually found by losers looking for attention."

Anna was more open towards the message. "Open it," she told Alexis.

Upon opening the article, Alexis' eyes widened in surprise. "I know that guy," she said. The photo depicted a chubby, white-haired man in a lab coat with a wide smile on his bearded face and folded arms. "That's Samuel Masterton, a lead scientist of Gabriel's Gardens. I've cooperated with him a few times while working on my school projects. He's indeed wise and very friendly."

"That means he's not just a loser looking for attention?" Anna said.

"I'm certain he's not," Alexis nodded. "I fully trust him."

"Read the article," Anna asked her.

In short, it said that Dr. Samuel Masterton found a strange rectangular piece of metal with strange inscriptions in the midnight hours near the Angel Square. After an analysis he has done, he found out that the metal it's made of is unknown to the human race.

The scientist said that he would continue examining the tablet, its material and the inscriptions. "Right now, I'm as curious about it as you are. I can say nothing for sure. I only know that the initial analysis told me that the metal used to made this is probably not made by human. No matter what I'll discover, I'll make sure that the public will know. The people have right to know the truth."

"Click on the gallery," Diane said, infected by Alexis and Anna's excitement.

They expected detailed photos of the strange discovery, but there was only one picture of Masterton holding a dark-gray piece of metal with a greenish hue, sized and shaped like an average tablet computer. There was really something inscribed on it, but the photo wasn't sharp enough to tell what it was. It looked like a jumble of letters in neat lines. Masterton had a dead serious expression on his face.

"I would love to learn more about it and solve the mystery," Alexis said.

"Don't you mean... investigate?" Anna smirked and both girls started giggling.

Diane rolled her eyes. "Great. Now I feel pretty left out."

"Don't worry, Dee," Alexis smiled. "You don't have to. I love Annie as my girlfriend and you as my sister. Two different kinds of love. Besides that, we have also our inside jokes, right?"

"I think you're just trying to hint that poor Deedee is gonna be all alone now," Diane sighed.

"Of course not," Anna smirked. "I'll let you borrow her from time to time."

Diane changed the subject. "Okay, what are we gonna do now?"

"I want to visit doctor Masterton," Alexis replied. "I hope he'll show us the tablet."

"He didn't even show it to the media," Diane objected. "Why should he show it to us?"

"I had a really good relationship with him," Alexis explained. "When I was still at school, I often visited him so he could teach me something more advanced and interesting than the boring stuff they taught us at school. Yes, Diane, no need to tell me how big of a nerd I am." Diane closed her mouth. "He said that I'm brighter than some of the university students he teaches." A sign of pride sounded in Alexis' voice.

"This sounds like a beginning of a movie about a child molester," Diane noted.

"Oh, shut up. Doctor Masterton had a wife, she passed away just two years ago, and he loved her so much. We became good friends, even though there's a forty years difference between us. He was even interested in the paranormal and taught me to handle the electronic ghost-hunting aids."

"He seems like a solid guy," Anna said. "Alright, let's go."

<<>>

The University of Gabriel's Gardens was located in Serenity Square, not so far away from the trio's flat. It was a huge complex of numerous colleges built in an old-fashioned style to resemble some of the most famous universities - the biggest inspiration came, of course, from Harvard University with one difference. Instead of red, the university in Gardens had its buildings mostly white.

"Oh, the rotten smell of knowledge," Diane noted while walking by the campus.

"Why don't you study here, Lexie?" Anna asked, holding Alexis' hand. Diane took a few minutes to get used to it. "You're probably the smartest person I know. I think it'd be no problem for you to get the degree. I'd be able to say I'm dating a scholar."

"That's pretty complicated," Alexis replied. "We moved into our own flat quite early and we didn't want to be a parasites for our Father. He's not very rich, so we decided to help. Before we started to do full-time ghosthunting, we were doing some inferior jobs, in supermarkets, fast food restaurants and so on. Then we finally got enough experience to quit those jobs and focus only on paranormal investigation."

"So you didn't have time and money for studies," Anna said. "I see."

"But to be honest," Alexis fixed her glasses and looked at the campus, "I'd love to study here one day. Languages. If I study English and learn some new languages, maybe I'd be able to become a freelancer translator or something similar. Something that wouldn't interfere with our investigations that much. But I guess it will always be just a dream. The tuition is way too high," she sighed.

"You never told me that," Diane said. "I'm too dumb to study, but you should go for it. If I knew that, I wouldn't spend the money Gray Forrestal gave us on the new flat and pay for your tuition instead."

Alexis smiled. "No way. It'd be too selfish if I took the money and use them for myself. We deserved new living - living close to Annie. When we moved, I was already hopelessly in love and living so close to Annie seemed like a dream to me. It's alright. Maybe some other time."

Samuel Masterton lived in a small, humble family house near the campus. His garden was guarded by Tesla, his black labrador. Alexis remembered the times when Tesla, upon catching her smell, rushed out of his doghouse and cheerfully jumped around the girl who always had a treat for him in her pocket. Now, several years later, Tesla was too old for this little show, but he still recognized Alexis since he started waggling his tail and smiled at her in his own dog way.

Alexis knocked at the door. A moment later, Masterton opened; he was wearing a casual flannel shirt and sweatpants, holding a cup of coffee in his hand. He looked at the girl, then his face brightened with a wide smile. "Little Lexi Warren!" he cheered. "I haven't seen you in ages. I presume I know what are you here for, but I guess every reason is sufficient."

"I'm also glad to see you, Mr. Professor," Alexis returned the smile.

Masterton pointed at Diane. "This has to be your twin sister, right? But who is this brave creature?" he looked at Anna with curiosity.

"This is Annie Lightfoot, my girlfriend," Alexis replied.

"A girlfriend...?" Masterton frowned with a spark of disagreement in his eyes, then just moved on. "Come in, girls. A friend of Lexi is my friend, too."

The girls stepped in and Masterton closed the door. The house was divided into two parts - one was old-fashioned and cozy, used for living and relaxing, decorated with various replicas of historical items such as weapons, paintings or uniforms. The another was turned into a science lab with numerous mysterious devices and advanced computers.

"As I said, I know why are you here," he seated them in his living room and offered them a cup of coffee from his large kettle - Diane and Anna accepted. "Lexi, you're the only person I invited in today. I had to send away a large crowd of journalists who wanted to see and take pictures of the discovery. But I'm not a goddamn celebrity! You're only here because I trust you. I allowed them to take one photo, but I made sure that the discovery isn't perfectly visible."

"Thank you, Mr. Professor," Alexis said. "Did you advance with the research?"

Masterton shook his head. "I think there's nothing more to be analyzed. That metal is absolutely unknown to me, so all I can do is trying to decipher the message on it. If it isn't absolute nonsense, of course. Now follow me. I will show you what I found."

<<>>

They entered Masterton's lab. Diane was curious about the equipment which looked like props from a sci-fi movie. When the scientist noticed her dangerous interest, he frowned at her. "Don't touch anything, Diane!" he said. "These devices are worth thousands and the research data in them have incalculable value."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Don't treat me like I was a bull in a china shop."

In the meanwhile, Alexis and Anna noticed a glass vitrine illuminated by a bright lightbulb, standing on one of the worktables. The light was reflecting from an item inside the vitrine. It was the strange artifact, dark gray with a barely noticeable green tint. It looked smaller than the girls imagined.

The object's surface was perfectly smooth, except for the engraved symbols. Alexis came closer and examined it; the symbols were only a mash of lines and circles:

O|OO||O|O|OOO|O|O|O|OO||O|

O|OO||O|OOO|O|O|OO|||OO|OO

O|||O|OOO|O|O|O|OO|OO|O|OO

||O|OOOOO|O|O|OO|OO|OOO|O|

O|OOOO||O|OO||||O|OO||O|O|

O O|OO| O|OO|||O O|O OO|||

"I expected something... different," Alexis frowned. "Something like cryptic message that could be decoded. This looks only like a random jumble of two symbols."

"I know what it is!" Diane shouted.

"Really?" Alexis rapidly turned to her. "Tell me!"

"I'm pretty sure it's a lyrics for a yodelling song," she said. "Listen up. Oiooiioioioooio..."

"For God's sake, Diane," Alexis sighed. "We're trying to be serious here."

"Maybe you are. I am not."

Anna turned to Doctor Masterton. "Where did you find it?" she asked.

"I was watching stars in the New Eden district, near the Aurum Mountains," Masterton replied. "I was about to go home, then I saw it. It emmited a faint green glow, I wouldn't have found it otherwise. I found it half-buried in the cold ground, that gave away it fell from a big height. Of course I didn't touch it right away. I brought a Geiger computer to find out whether it's radioactive or not. It seemed to be safe, so I took it home."

"Why didn't you keep it secret, then?" Alexis asked.

"On my way home, I met a friend. She asked me about it, so I had to explain. And, well, it seems that she wasn't able to keep silent about it. The message spread like a virus and several hours ago, the media were already knocking at my door. She's a good friend, but awful at keeping secrets."

"Can I take a photo?" Anna joined the talk.

"I'm afraid not," Masterton shook his head. "Don't get me wrong, I fully trust you, but having a detailed photo would be too risky. There are hackers who can steal the file. Don't worry, girls, I'll send you a picture immediately after I find out it's nothing dangerous."

"But that can take forever," Anna moaned.

"I'm sorry."

The girls thanked Masterton for his acceptance and left the house; the visit left them with more questions than answers. "Maybe we should really leave it to experts," Alexis sighed. "It's not that we aren't familiar with dangerous stuff already, but I doubt we're the right people for an alien contact."

"That's too bad, my love," Anna smirked. "You can back off if you want, but I'll try to decipher the message. Let me tell you a secret: my wheelchair has a built-in camera. You know, I sometimes just stop with the desire to make a nice picture. I decided to attach a small camera into the headrest so I can always click a nice shot if needed - it's my own invention."

Alexis cheered, hugged Anna and kissed her on the cheek. "That's why I love you," she said.

<<>>

An hour later, back at Anna's flat, the impaired girl uploaded the photo to the computer. Alexis examined the wheelchair and really, she found a small lens in the chair's headrest several inches away from Anna's right ear. It was almost invisible and Anna did a solid work inserting it into the cushioning.

"Look," Anna pointed on a small screen next to the joystick which operated the wheelchair. It functioned as a smart device with an Android system and Anna could even use apps and play games on it. She tapped on an icon and the screen showed the face of Diane who was looking into the camera's lens. "It took quite a while to connect all the wires and program the whole thing, but it was worth it."

"Genius," Alexis voiced.

"I refuse to be impressed until you build some food dispenser," Diane noted.

Anna smirked. "Guess what I've been using the camera for lately? Lexie, you wouldn't believe how many pictures of you did I take without you knowing."

Alexis blushed. "Well, that's... good to know, probably."

"Now let's take a look at the photo," Anna said. She opened the file and a picture appeared on screen. It was sharp, with high resolution. The bright lights made deciphering of a few symbols a bit troublesome, but in the end, Anna was able to transcribe the whole set of symbols.

"I'm actually surprised that Masterton didn't solve this riddle by himself," the girl stated.

Diane raised her eyebrows. "You're speaking like you already knew the solution."

"It's so damn easy," Anna said. "So easy that I'm afraid my solution will be wrong and I'll look like an idiot. Lines and circles. What does it remind you of?"

The sisters stared at her with a blank expression.

"It's binary code, goddamit!" Anna called in frustration. She began to rewrite the code on the tablet once again, this type replacing lines and circles by ones and zeros:

01001101010001010101001101010011010001010100111001000111010001010101001001010011010000010101001001000101010000110100111101001101010010010100111001000111

"Oh yes, ones and zeros!" Diane finally seemed to understand. "This is something like... a computer language, right? A letter can be translated into ones and zeros and vice versa. Is that right?"

"Yes, if you put it very simply," Anna nodded. "Now, I can try and use the convertor which translates binary into American standard code for information interchange, ASCII in short. For dummies, it's a set of letters, numbers and symbols. That should reveal us the secret message, if there is any."

Alexis closely observed the eagerness in Anna's eyes as she spoke about the topic she was expert at. She also noticed a slight blush on her freckled face. Her lips were rapidly forming words and her tongue showed from time to time to moisturize them. Even though Anna was far from a perfect face, Alexis found every single detail about it adorable.

Anna opened a webpage with two text input windows: one was for binary code, the other one for translating it into intelligible language. The girl took a deep breath and pasted the binary code into the window. Then she clicked on Convert button.

"I think we have our message," Alexis noted.

The window with ASCII translation showed one word:

MESSENGERSARECOMING

Diane frowned. "Messengers? What is that supposed to be?"

"Now we have to ask ourselves an important question," Alexis said. "Do you believe in exaterrestrial life?"

"Yes," Anna said.

"Kinda," Diane shrugged.

<<>>

"Let's work with a version that it was thrown here by aliens," Anna said. "It makes the much sense. It's something like a test of our development. It was suspicious that the code was way too easy, but imagine if this tablet was found when there was no binary code. That message would be unsolvable."

"That makes sense," Alexis admitted.

"If you ask me," Anna continued, "I think that the exaterrestrial life is constantly trying to contact us, we as a humankind are blind to it. We're unprepared, so we just trivialize the issue and ignore it. This tablet reminds me of a crop circle which appeared in 2002 in Crabwood, England. It depicted an alien holding a disc. There was a cryptic message on the disc. And guess what they used to encrypt it? Of course, a binary code! The message was a warning, but nobody took it seriously. Maybe the aliens are making a second attempt."

"Maybe we should really leave it and not care about it," Diane shivered, which was an unusual sight. "Ghosts and demons are chill, but I'm not sure if I want to mess with aliens. They're creepy and unpredictable. They probably see us like we see lab rats - useful for experiments, can be taught a few tricks, but otherwise completely inferior and expendable."

"It also depends if our sender is E.T. or a Xenomorph," Alexis said. "Aliens can be both friendly and... less friendly. We have no idea which one our Messengers are."

"Messengers are coming," Anna stared at the translated binary code. "We can already deduce some things. They are coming, so that probably means we can expect more messages, or maybe even their arrival, in the future. Second thing, they are Messengers. We can probably expect some messages from them. One thing is for sure - this isn't the last time we hear about them."

"Shouldn't we tell Doc Masterton?" Diane said. "He oughta know better than us."

"Don't forget I took that photo without permission," Anna reminded her. "It'd be better if he didn't know. Besides that, the code is so simple that I'm sure that Doctor Masterton will decode it soon enough. Also I'm afraid that there's nothing we can do at the moment. There isn't any question or a riddle, they're simply announcing their arrival. Actually, Doctor Masterton is doing a good thing. Imagine if the photo of the tablet was available to public - every dummy could decipher it and read the message. Just think about the panic."

"And it wouldn't be only at the disco," Diane noted.

"So we have two options," Alexis clapped her hands. "First, we can try, somehow, to find out more about the tablet's origin and try to find a meaning behind the message. Second, we can just forget about it and leave it to Professor Masterton. We can call him and tell him that the code was in binary - we don't have to admit that we took a picture, we can just say that Annie saw the tablet and realized that the lines and circles are actually ones and zeros. I vote for the first option."

"I vote for leaving it as it is," Diane said. "As I said, I don't wanna mess with aliens."

Anna thought about it for a while. "Well... it fascinates me too much to just forget about it."

Diane rolled her eyes. "Oh great. Now the lovers will always stay together."

"I'd say the same even if I wasn't dating Alexis," Anna objected. "I just can't turn down a mystery."

"Okay. Do whatever you want," Diane raised her hands in surrender. "But if we all end up on a metal table ready to get dissected alive by little green men, you can't blame me."

Anna raised her index finger. "For your information, classical aliens are usually grey. The so-called Greys are the stereotypical aliens with thin limbs, big head and big eyes. Then we have Pleiadians who look like beautiful humans with pale skin and fair hair. And Reptilians..."

"Okay, I got it, Miss Alien-o-logist," Diane rolled her eyes.

Alexis and Diane got ready to leave. Just when Alexis gave Anna a goodbye kiss, Augustus showed up. He looked confused, but not completely shocked.

"Is there something you want to tell me, Annie?" he said.

"Actually, yes," Anna said. "Alexis... is my girlfriend."

Augustus just raised his eyebrows and kept silent.

"Do you have something against it, bro?"

"Not at all," Gus replied. "Actually, I'm happy for it. At least a girl can't get you pregnant."

<<>>

The day after, nothing interesting happened. No new messages from the mysterious Messengers, at least none was found. Alexis forgot about the problem for a while and took Anna for a date to the cinema. Fortunately, it was a fantasy movie with no aliens involved.

The next morning, Masterton sent Alexis a message that he managed to decode the message. He was as confused as the girls. Now the girls and the scientist were on the same mark.

After lunch, Alexis invited Anna to join their brainstorm. The impaired girl came and Dante immediately jumped on her lap. "C'mon, doggy," Anna laughed. "I have some work to do!"

"I was thinking about what can we do," Alexis announced; Anna listened to her while gently stroking Dante resting on her lap. "I could think about only one thing - to examine the place where Masterton found the tablet."

"We don't know the exact place," Diane objected. "We only know that it's somewhere in New Eden, near Aurum Mountains. The district is huge. Will we examine every inch?"

Alexis smiled. "I think it's pretty clear where did Masterton find the object. There's a place in New Eden called Calista's Peak which is frequently occupied by couples in love and people who want to observe the night sky." Alexis grabbed her tablet computer, opened the Maps app and inserted the name in the search bar. The place was located at the very edge of Gabriel's Gardens and resembled a tooth-shaped cliff biting into the ocean.

"It seems romantic, but also pretty dangerous," Anna noted.

"There's a fence which should prevent accidents," Alexis said. "But it's not high enough to prevent certain people from jumping off the cliff. Several suicides per year happen there. That's the shady side of Calista's Peak, but its primary use is to establish a nice atmosphere."

"What's the probability that Masterton found the tablet actually there?" Diane asked.

"I'd say about eighty percent," Alexis replied.

"Yeah, that's enough. Guess we'll have to go on a trip."

"And I'm coming with you," Anna announced.

"Are you sure, Annie?" Alexis said. "We..."

"Hell yeah I am sure!" Anna called. "I'm a bit tired of being just a background support. I understand that I can't go with you to investigate some cases in case something happens. I get it - I'm mostly defenseless and would hinder your progress. But I think that a trip to Calista's Peak can't be that dangerous. So please, let me go with you. Even if just for this once."

Alexis shrugged. "Well, I don't see any reason why not."

"Okay," Diane said, "but if you two spend the entire time cuddling, I'mma use a straitjacket."

"Don't worry, Diane," Alexis said. "I can strictly separate my personal and work life."

Anna smirked. "I think I'm gonna test it."

They decided to go during the sunset, so it wasn't completely dark, but not full daylight either. As Anna has proven many times already, she mastered the art of navigating her wheelchair and managed to keep up with the sisters even though they walked at their normal pace. Fortunately, the TEx stations were fully accessible to the impaired, so the girl didn't need help even there.

The New Eden district was built to serve as a piece of nature for the people who didn't have time to leave the city and visit the actual nature outside the city. The area was mostly covered by forests and parks, with the most prominent being the Tranquility Park, often used for parties, picnics and weddings.

The whole district was beautiful, but it wasn't fake beauty like in The Centre or Clearwater, the district which served as a summer resort for the elites. It was all natural, like a pretty smiling girl with a face untouched by make-up. It was actually hard to believe that this district is in fact also artifical, like everything else in Gabriel's Gardens.

"I think I know where I want our next date," Anna noted.

"What did I say about cuddling?" Diane said. "Lex, lead the way for Calista's Peak!"

<<>>

The girls couldn't help but stand on the edge of Calista's Peak for a while. Only a short metal fence prevented them from falling into the ocean thirty meters under their feet, the waves crashing against the weather-resistant concrete resembling stone which was used to build the man-made peninsula, the base for the glorious city of Gabriel's Gardens.

"To think that this place once never existed," Diane said while leaning over the fence and watching the waters under them. "Then some dork just said 'Hey, let's create a huge ass peninsula and build a rad city on it.' It had to cost shitloads of money, but here we are."

"Yes, but I think Gardens deserve better than being just a playground for the elites," Alexis took off her glasses to prevent them from falling into the ocean. "If I had a chance to build a city from scratch, I'd definitely create something different than this godless place where only the most rotten can thrive."

Diane smirked. "A bookstore in every street, right?"

Alexis shrugged. "Still better than casinos and pubs."

Anna also enjoyed the sight of the last rays of sunshine reflecting on the water surface, but she was excited about today's main mission - it was one of the rare occasions where she could join the sisters' investigation directly. "Didn't you forget we have some work to do?" she said.

Alexis smiled. "Are you bored, sweetheart?"

"To be honest... yes, kinda."

"In that case, let's start," Diane headed towards the group of trees standing nearby as Alexis put her glasses back on. The place was completely silent, save for quiet splashing of the ocean waves, singing of a few lonely birds and buzzing of Anna's wheelchair.

"He found it right near the Peak," Alexis muttered. "We can't be far awa..."

"Found it," Diane announced.

"Woah, that was fast," Anna raised her eyebrows.

Diane was, however, right. Just a few meters away from the Peak, there was a rectangular hole in the ground, about the right size for the tablet. Alexis crouched and examined it. She put a finger inside - the hole was a bit deeper than the length of her index finger.

"Professor was right, it had to fall from a big height," she stated.

"Or someone could just use a hammer or something similar," Diane objected.

Her sister pulled out a flashlight and examined the hole more closely. Then she shook her head. "Look how smooth the hole is. If someone tucked it in, it'd be visible. And the tablet would be most likely damaged, which it wasn't. I'm not an expert, though."

She was interrupted by Anna's horrified scream.

"Annie! Are you okay?" Alexis shouted and ran towards her girlfriend.

"You've been hit by, you've been hit by a smooth criminal," Diane sang, then realized nobody was listening to her. "Dammit," she muttered to herself. "I've been waiting for ages to make this joke."

Anna's face was so pale that her freckles looked almost black and she was genuinely shook. She was pointing somewhere into the forest; Alexis looked in that direction, but saw nothing. "What happened?" she asked, trying to calm Anna down.

"There was... something... between those trees," Anna jabbered. She took a few deep breaths, then continued more coherently. "A tall figure. It was shaped like a man, but all shiny and silver, like it was made from mercury. It showed up for a second, looked at me - at least I think it did, since it had no eyes - and then disappeared again. Alexis... I'm scared."

"Are you sure you saw it?" Diane asked. "Maybe you got too excited and your brain started playing games."

Anna frowned. "I may be crippled, but I'm not blind nor an idiot."

"Okay, okay. I trust you."

"How tall was it?" Alexis turned to Anna.

"Its head was right under that branch," Anna pointed at one of the trees.

Alexis walked to the said tree. The branch was high above her head. "So... if you saw it right, I'm guessing that it had to be over two meters tall, maybe even more. And look... we have some footsteps."

<<>>

Since the forest's soil was dry, the footsteps were barely visible and impossible to track. But at least they prove Anna's words - they were slightly bigger than standard human footsteps and shaped like a shoe with no pattern. Crushed leaves gave away that the prints were fresh.

"Now I know what did it remind me of," Anna said. "It was like the Silver Surfer, only without face and abs. It was really scary. But I guess I asked for it... I wanted to go with you after all. But now I realize that talking about your cases and working in the background is way less creepy."

"Do you think it was an alien?" Diane said.

Anna finally managed to calm herself down. "Maybe. Even though it would be a very unusual alien since they're mostly short and thin. This one was tall, slim and shiny, more like some semi-organic machine."

"That's also a popular theory," Alexis nodded. "Some people say that if we ever meet aliens, it'd be machines sent by them; they're better suitable for enduring interstellar travels and aren't mortal."

"The Messengers," Anna voiced. "Not them directly. The Messengers acting on their behalf."

"I don't like how much sense this makes," Diane uttered.

It was getting dark and even though the sisters wouldn't admit it, Anna's sight scared them. They didn't want to meet the Messenger again - just in case it wouldn't be so neutral. "I think we've had enough for today," Alexis said. "That hole isn't anything interesting and I don't wanna be there if the Messenger returns."

The other two girls didn't disagree. They headed back to the TEx station, paranoidly looking over their shoulders to see if the silver being isn't following them. The Messenger, however, didn't show again and Anna would think it all happened in her mind if there weren't the footsteps.

"About the date," she told Alexis, "I changed my mind. Not here, at least not at night."

Alexis nodded. "Understandable."

They returned home and realized that the visit of Calista's Peak didn't help them advance anyhow. They only discovered that the same beings who dropped the tablet on the New Eden district possibly came back to look after their gift. That fact was more unsettling than helpful.

The next day in the morning, the head articles in the news all asked the same question:

Who are the mysterious Messengers?

"It seems that someone managed to get a picture of the tablet and publish it after all," Diane noted, looking at Alexis' laptop. "And see? People start panicking."

The photos of a mysterious tablet made from "materials inaccessible for humans" found by professor Samuel Masterton were leaked by an anonymous source tonight. Shortly after the photo was posted on the internet, several people managed to decode the cryptic message engraved on the tablet. Allegedly, the message is written in binary code and reads "MESSENGERSARECOMING".

Decoding the messages brought more questions than answers. Who are "the Messengers" the message mentions? The conspiracy theorists immediately came with a theory that we should prepare for an extraterrestrial visit; lots of the citizens soon joined them, some with excitement, some with fear. Dr. Masterton's claim that the tablet is made from unknown metal is putting a dent in the theories of the sceptics, according to which the whole tablet is merely a hoax or a prank.

Should we be afraid? Is the War of the Worlds around the corner? Or is it, after all, an elaborate prank? We will not know until the Messengers arrive. One thing is for sure: we should prepare for everything.

Under the article, there was a photo of the tablet. It wasn't the one took by Anna - at least they could be sure that her computer hasn't been hacked.

Anna grinned. "Imagine the panic if someone other than us saw our friend Silver Surfer."

"Maybe we should tell it at least to Professor Masterton," Alexis said.

"You are probably right," Anna nodded, then shivered. "I keep thinking about that shiny thing between the trees. It was so disturbing. I hope that sucker won't appear next to my bed in the dead of night."

"You'll get used to it after a while," Diane said. "If every paranormal dude I encounter had to show next to my bed, they'd have to take numbers or organize a schedule."

"First of all," Alexis announced, "we have to contact Professor Masterton."

<<>>

The girl opened a videochat app and clicked on a little camera icon next to the contact labelled as S. Masterton. It took a while before the scientist answered the call.

"So it happened," the older man said instead of greetings. "Someone somehow stole one of the photos I made. And now, the worst possible scenario is happening. People are starting to panic and they bombard me with messages, even with death threats. They think that I, the tablet's finder, have to know everything about it. Ha! They can't be more wrong. I know nothing about those Messengers."

"Well... there's something important we have to tell you," Alexis said.

"Speak up, please."

The girls described Anna's sighting of the tall, silver figure. Masterton frowned. "I don't like this," he said. "I was hoping that after all, it's some kind of prank... but it seems that we actually have something to do with extraterrestrial intelligence. I'm afraid there's no other explanation."

"There are only two possibilities," Anna chanted a quote. "We are alone in the Universe, and we aren't alone. Both of them are equally terrifying."

"Well said," Masterton nodded. "We have to hope that the Messengers will leave more messages soon - something that tells us more about their identity or intentions. The people can't be left in uncertainty for too long. Fear can lead to various bad things."

"Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." It was Alexis' time to come with a quote.

"Thank you for letting me know, girls," Masterton said. "I think that if we join forces, we'd be able to solve the mystery of the Messengers before something terrible happens. Tonight, I'll go to Calista's Peak and see if I can meet and possibly contact that silver being."

"Don't!" Anna burst out. "It can be dangerous."

Masterton shrugged. "Sometimes we have to take the risk. I don't want to brag, but I think that an educated scientist has a better chance to contact the alien life form than a teenage student who knows aliens only from movies or videogames. They may attempt to attack that being, and that can be fatal to them since we have no idea what kind of powers they possess. That binary message showed that they are aware of our language and can use it properly, so a peaceful speech may be the best option."

"Good luck, Professor," Alexis sighed.

"You too, girls. If I manage to discover something new, I'll let you know immediately."

The call ended.

"I'm afraid," Alexis said. "Professor alone against that silver being..."

"I can list all possible thing that can go wrong," Diane started to count on her fingers. "It could just kill him, but it would be to boring. Maybe vaporizing with a laser beam? Also boring. They can abduct and dissect him... maybe make him a vessel for an alien mind... maybe..."

"Shut the hell up, Diane," Alexis barked. "You're not making it any easier!"

"C'mon, I was just joking."

"It won't be that funny if something of it really happens," Anna muttered.

"If these Messengers already have us in their sights," Diane continued, "I'm afraid there's nothing that can help us. We are fully dependant on their mercy since they probably have ways to smash us just like we can smash an anthill. They are probably looking at us right now and examining our reactions to their message."

Alexis sighed. "Your optimism is really going to help us in upcoming times."

"She's probably right, though," Anna said. "Maybe it's only some kind of experiment for them. Like... studying inferior life forms, their reaction to crisis situations and direct threats. Man, now I regret that I didn't watch the X-Files a bit more.

"I have a feeling that no TV show can prepare us," Alexis said.

<<>>

The next day, Alexis decided to bite the bullet and tell Reverend Warren about her relationship with Anna. She was playing with a thought that they could just keep it secret, without the holy man knowing. Then she quickly condemned the idea. He could simply see them together someday, or maybe someone who attends his sermons could just let it slip.

And, the most importantly, she'd never be able to lie to someone who took care of her for all those years even though he didn't have to. Who gave her pure fatherly love even though they weren't related.

She got up early in the morning; Diane will probably enjoy three or four more hours of sleep. First of all, she checked her phone if there isn't any message from Professor Masterton. There wasn't, which could be both good and bad news. Either he didn't discover anything that required immediate attention, or something happened to him at night. She decided to call him later; she knew that the man was a tight sleeper.

Alexis decided to not take TEx and walk into West Haven instead. The indescribable atmosphere of the city that's only half-awake helped her to clear her mind and prepare for whatever may come. She overheard a few conversations and realized that the people are talking about the Messengers. That unsettled her. There was something menacing about the fact that people take the thing actually seriously.

Warren's illegal church was only a five-minute walk away from the borders of Serenity Square and West Haven. The clerk selling in the shop serving as a cover for Warren's church, an older, gray-haired lady for today, recognized Alexis, smiled at her and let her go into the warehouse. The girl removed a fake pannel in the wall hiding the secret door and stepped inside the underground hall.

Warren was already there, sitting on a church bench, reading a book. He raised his head with a surprised expression; he didn't expect anyone so early. It changed to a warm smile when he recognized his adoptive daughter. "Alexis," he said. "I'm glad to see you. Where's your sister?"

Alexis sat next to him and took a deep breath. She enjoyed the fatherly love radiating from his eyes; maybe it'll soon be gone. "I have something to tell you... alone," she said.

"What's up, my child?" Warren put his hand around her shoulders. "I'll do whatever it takes to help you."

"Well... you know Anna Lightfoot, right?" Alexis asked.

"Of course. Strong and charming young lady."

"Well, the matter is..." Alexis lost her voice for a while. "She's my girlfriend now."

Ignatius Warren kept silent and Alexis thought he'll start shouting at her at any given moment. Or maybe he expects her to just leave his presence. For good. Then he just raised his eyebrows and asked: "My child, do you know what does Jesus say about homosexuality?"

The girl cast her eyes down and shook her head reluctantly, sure that lectures about how sinful she is will follow. But Warren just smiled. "Nothing, my child," he said. "Absolutely nothing. It's true that Bible considers it sinful, but when you read it very well, you'll see that almost everything is a sin. We can't even wear clothing made from two different kinds of fabric!"

Alexis looked at him in surprise. "So... you actually don't mind?"

"Alexis, do you really love her?"

"More than anything."

"Are you happy right now?"

"I've never been happier."

"In that case, I'm not the one to judge you. When it comes to Bible, I'm more fond of verses that are timeless and can be applied in every era of human history. For example Luke 6:37."

Alexis smiled. "I know that one. Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven."

"Very well, my child. If you are happy with her and your love is sincere, I have no right to look down my nose at you or force you to cancel your relationship. I know I wouldn't be successful; I know how hard-headed can you be," he laughed. "I know you are a good person, Alexis, and your sexuality doesn't define you."

Alexis hugged him. "Thank you, Father."

<<>>

After she got rid of a huge burden that has been plaguing her mind, she was once again able to speak with Warren normally. First of all, the priest laughed. "Alexis, did you really think I would disown or start to hate you just because you fell in love with a girl? You disappointed me a bit! You know, Alyssa Lafayette is one of my best friends and I've never had problems accepting her preferences."

"You know, I was unsure," Alexis said. "I thought that you could be ashamed that the daughter of the only holy man in the city has a girlfriend. Like... your personal failure or something."

Warren bursted into laughter once again. "Alexis, please! You know what? Let's stop talking about it. Annie is always welcome here and so are you. The case is closed for me, as you always say."

The girl changed the subject. "Did you hear about the otherwordly tablet found by Professor Masterton and the message it contained?"

"At first, I thought you're here because of it," Warren replied. "When I saw the article, I was immediately sure that you and Diane are already digged into it. Unfortunately, I have no idea who these Messengers could be. As a man of faith, I'd love to think that it's all about the Messengers of God. Angels. But it seems that we are dealing with creations of a different God."

"Do you mean extraterrestrials?"

"Yes. It'd be foolish to think that God put all his effort into just one intelligent race. Why would He make the universe so big, then? There are many things beyond our knowledge and the existence of extraterrestrial life forms is one of them. I'm, however, ready for whatever may come. I've been praying, just in case that the Messengers won't have mercy with us."

"Good, but I'd prefer to live for some more years," Alexis smirked.

"Let's hope so, my child. I'm sure you can find out something more about them. Make sure to contact me once you manage to find out anything."

"I will, Father."

Alexis had to promise that if everything went well, she'll have to bring Diane and Anna for a visit; she did it gladly. Then she left the church and slowly started to walk back home, stopping to buy a warm chocolate croissant for breakfast. Her loss of appetite caused by stress and insecurity was gone. She was happy that Reverend Warren accepted her as she was. If he didn't, what would she do? She'd have to choose between love of her adoptive father and her girlfriend. She was glad that she doesn't have to undergo this Sophia's choice.

When she arrived home, Diane was still sleeping. Alexis was thinking about giving a surprise visit to Anna, letting her know that not even Reverend Warren is against their love, but then she decided that it's still too early even for Anna. Instead, she woke her phone and dialed Professor Masterton's number. She was worried for a while when the scientist didn't answer, but after a while, she finally heard a sleepy voice.

"Alexis...?"

"Did I wake you, Professor? I'm so sorry."

"No problem, I was going to get up anyway. So I presume you called to ask me about last night, right? I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I didn't find or see anything. There was no new artifact and I didn't see that silver being you talked about, either."

Alexis was glad that Masterton didn't accuse them of lying. Would he be more sceptical if the story about the silver being came from a person he doesn't know?

"That's too bad, I guess," Alexis said.

"I'm not giving up," Masterton said. "I'll visit Calista's Peak every day until I find something. I know that it can be risky and I appreciate that you care about me even though I'm just an old nerd, but I can't stop now because I'm just too curious about the whole case. I need to know the truth."

Alexis smiled. "I know that feeling, Professor."

The call ended and Alexis had two more hours for herself. She used it to clear her mind even further; she started to prepare a nice lunch while listening to music. Her peaceful world shattered as soon as Diane woke up and yelled at her across the whole flat: "Mornin', gimme some food!"

<<>>

It was a calm day; even the panic about the Messengers ceased a bit. When the people didn't receive any updates about it, they quickly forgot about it and continued living their normal lives, knowing that they can't do anything about the events that may come.

When Alexis met Anna that day, she told her immediately about Warren's opinion about their relationship. The impaired girl was obviously pleased.

"That's cool!" she said. "At least he'd be able to marry us when the time comes."

Alexis laughed. "We're dating for a few days and you already think about marriage?"

Anna shrugged. "I think it's never too early for that. See? Alyssa and Melody already are married."

"You don't know if I'd like to marry you."

"So you're telling me that everything is only some kind of non-binding flirt?"

Alexis leaned and kissed her on the forehead. "Of course I'm joking, my dear. Maybe it's really too early for that after a few days, but I'd love to make you my wife someday since I can't imagine meeting someone better than you. And if Father would marry us, the better!"

"Girls, girls. I hope you aren't gonna propose to each other after three days of dating." The two lovers didn't notice Diane casually walking into the living room, overhearing a part of their conversation.

"The urge is strong, but no, not yet," Anna smiled.

Diane sighed. "I know what you need. A nice evening with dinner, candles, a movie, y'know, romantic stuff. You just started dating, so it'd be too cruel from me to just keep third-wheeling since you obviously need some time alone. So here's my idea: I'll go out for tonight and leave you alone. Is that okay?"

"But Dee... where are you gonna sleep?" Alexis said.

The brunette smirked. "I've already contacted some of my good old friends and it seems that I can have a sleepover. So it'll be beneficial for all. You can do some cuddling here and I'll remember the old times. Then I'll be able to be as annoying as I wish again!"

"Diane... thank you!" Anna smiled at her. "I'm just so glad that you... accept and support us and don't feel pushed away. We really appreciate it."

"Who said that I don't feel pushed away?" Diane frowned, then her face went back to her tomboy smirk. "Just joking. I know that it's something new for you two and you're crazy in love. It's because of me, too; the sooner it ceases a little, the sooner I'll be relevant again!"

Diane kept her promise and left after seven. The lovers followed her advice and prepared a romantic evening; Alexis cooked Anna's favorite food, grilled cod fillets with fries and vegetables. Alexis knew that her girlfriend is also a big fan of seafood, so she added a few shrimps to satisfy her taste.

"I've never eaten anything so good in my life," Anna said with a full mouth after she was about halfway done with her food. "And I swear I'm being honest." They were dining in Alexis' living room; Alexis dimmed the light to create the right atmosphere. She, though, refused to light a candle. Both girls deemed it as too cheesy. A playlist of their favorite songs quietly playing from their audiosystem was enough.

Alexis laughed. "You're being too kind."

"I swear I'm not," Anna swallowed another bite of the fish. "And I enjoy it tenfold because it was made by you... and because I can eat it with you. I love you so much, Alexis. I'm glad that at least one in our relationship can cook," she smirked.

"Cooking your favorite dish is the tiniest thing I can do for you," Alexis was lost in the sight of Anna's freckled face, keenly enjoying the food and her presence.

"What are your plans after the dinner?" Anna asked.

"I was thinking about pyjamas, Star Wars marathon and my bed," Alexis replied.

"You're reading my mind," the impaired girl smiled, then blushed a bit. "But... you don't have any... side plans, right? You know, plans... not involving clothes. To be frank, I'm not ready for it. Not now."

"Of course, take your time. I'm either not a fan of intimacy after three days of dating. But be ready for a lot of this," Alexis raised Anna's chin and gave her a long, heartfelt kiss which was interrupted by a strange light on the outside. The girls stopped kissing and looked out of the window.

"They're here... again," Alexis exhaled.

<<>>

Diane was sitting in a nice, neat coffee bar near the river creating a border between Serenity Square and The Centre. She was smiling - Alexis and Anna thought that she has done them a huge favor by disappearing for a night, but in fact, she did it also for herself. She haven't seen her old friends for a long time and now she finally took a chance to meet them once again.

She was there with three other people. They formed an inseparable gang in high school and made lots of great memories together. But most importantly, they helped Diane with recovering from several months spent in a different clique full of delinquents and potheads.

Diane didn't like remembering this darker episode of her past.

The "gang" consisted of a guy named Ajay, nicknamed Sixer based on his lucky number. He was chubby, with a round face and bristly hair, expert about videogames, popculture and science fiction. He was wearing a T-shirt with big letters DOOM; Ajay didn't forget to mention that it's referring to the 1993 videogame ("Even though the 2016 reboot also wasn't half-bad," he noted. "But there's nothing better than a joy of murdering pixelated demons.").

Then there was a couple, a really short girl named Kelly with tanned skin and long, dark hair, sometimes called "Hobbit girl" by her friends. She was often wearing oversized clothes and high heels to hide her vertical impairment, as she called it. Her boyfriend was an Afroamerican guy named Trent who had lean figure, short black hair and a goatee, always wearing short-sleeved jerseys of famous soccer players, even in winter.

"We've been missing you, Deedee," Ajay said, sipping his coffee.

"Hell yes we were," Kelly nodded. She and Trent had a glass of wine in front of them. "We used to be together every day, but it all went down the drain since we graduated."

Diane shrugged. "Well, guys, nothing lasts forever. I'm a successful, working woman now, that means I'm above hanging out with high school friends." When she saw the disbelief in her friends' eyes, she laughed. "Gotcha, guys. I was just joking. I also love to see you again. Ajay, you are fatter again, right?"

The chubby guy smirked. "Well, lots of new games got released lately, and my diet consisting of ramen noodles, Cheetos and Coke isn't helping much. So I became immune to remarks about my weight."

"No other choice, right?" Trent mocked him with a smile.

"At least I have no failed attempts to grow facial hair on my face," Ajay returned the fire. The girls laughed. Diane really missed the endless jibing between the guys.

The conversation lasted to late night hours, where they were asked to leave the café due to closing hours. The four friends just sat on the bench outside and continued. Diane was just talking about her sister and her relationship with her best friend (Anna was also a member of the team briefly); the boys were slightly shocked, Kelly saw it coming and wasn't really surprised.

Just as Diane started explaining how did she get here tonight, Kelly opened her eyes wide, pointed to the sky and shouted: "Look... what is that?!"

"Oh yeah, and you'll put salt in my coffee," Ajay jeered. "I ain't falling for that."

Diane, however, looked up and was equally amazed as Kelly. In the sky, there was a disc-shaped object covered in dark green light flying at enormous speed. By that time, all people who were still up noticed and observed the object, some in silent awe, some with panicked screams.

"It's a goddamn UFO!" Ajay shouted. "Wow! I was always hoping to see one of these!"

"Calm down, it's probably just a chopper or a plane," Kelly was more sceptical.

"That would make some noise," Diane objected. "I think the Messengers are at it again."

The object continued flying and after a while, it stopped above the center of Gabriel's Gardens, somewhere above the Haven district. Then it started to flicker; short bursts of light were followed by both shorter and longer pauses where the object was completely dark and invisible against the night sky.

The flashing wasn't completely random, Diane could tell some kind of pattern. The periods between light and dark seemed to have the same, or at least similar length. It was obvious that it was some kind of code. The Messengers' second message.

<<>>

"Really good timing," Anna voiced after the green object finished its several-minutes-long show and disappeared from the sky as mysteriously as it appeared.

"There's no doubt that the Messengers are trying to contact us again," Alexis said. "That blinking wasn't random, that's for sure. It's another code."

"I would love to solve it," Anna said, "but to do that, I'll need to note down the pattern of its flickering. Maybe it's a binary code again. Our only hope is that someone recorded the whole thing on a video and will share it on the internet."

"Messengers want us to decode the message," Alexis said. "That's why it did the little show before it stopped above Haven and started flickering. That give the people some time to start recording it without missing any part from the code. I think that there'll be hundreds of videos available tomorrow."

"I hope so, because my brain is running wild," Anna replied. "I already have some theories about that code, and I'm really excited to test them out."

"But we can't let it ruin our date, right?" Alexis said. "Let's forget about it for now and enjoy some pyjamas and Star Wars, just like we planned."

"I agree," Anna nodded.

The girls got into Alexis' bedroom with a widescreen TV; the girl didn't use it much, but this was the perfect time to turn it on and enjoy its high definition.

Anna blushed. "Lex...? Do you think we're already in that stage where we can... you know... undress in front of each other?" she asked shyly.

Alexis pretended she didn't hear her; she casually undressed to her underwear and, trying to hold back a laugh, she turned to Anna whose face was as red as Darth Vader's lightsaber. "Did you say something, darling?"

"I am so gay," Anna voiced, still a bit shocked by the sight of her half-naked girlfriend.

Alexis didn't want to embarass her girlfriend any further, so she put on her pyjamas out of Anna's sight. Then she helped her to get on the bed and turned on the TV. Then she chose her movie library, She picked The Phantom Menace while holding Anna in her arms.

"Trust me, this is the best day ever," Anna purred.

Many hours later, Diane came home after a night spent in Kelly and Trent's flat in Icaria. They all had great fun, even without loads of alcohol or drugs. They promised that they'll have to meet again soon.

"Lex?" she shouted. "Alexis? Are you here?"

Her heart started to beat faster out of fear. What if the Messengers took someone with them when they appeared last night? She rushed into Alexis' room where she was most likely to be found. She was offered a look at her sister in a tight hug with Anna, both sleeping with peaceful smiles on their faces.

"I think that my idea was successful after all," Diane muttered to herself and backed off from the room with a satisfied smile. They probably had a movie night despite the appearance of the flickering UFO. Because she was well-rested after the night with her friends, she decided to take Alexis' role and at least prepare some breakfast. She wasn't a skilled cook, but she didn't mind at the moment.

The lovers entered the living room soon after. They quickly exchanged their experience from the last night; Anna then immediately drove towards the computer. "She was pretty excited about the UFO," Alexis explained. "It ruined our kiss and Annie wants to take revenge by cracking its code once again."

As they expected, the news were full of flickering UFO observed at night, and, as Alexis predicted, there were numerous videos of the object. Many of them recorded the whole time between its appearance and disappearance. That included the whole time where it was flickering.

"A pen," Anna commanded after she found the highest-quality video. "And a piece of paper."

"You're really diving into it," Alexis smiled.

Anna shrugged. "I always work to the fullest."

<<>>

The girl closely watched the recording several times. "As you can see," she said, "there are two types of flashes - long and short, separated by a moment of darkness. I think they're trying to present us a binary code again. Maybe long flash is for one and short is for zero."

"Try it," Alexis said.

Anna slowed the video down and noted the flashes; she wrote "S" for short and "L" for long flash:

SLLSSLSSSLLSSLSLSSSSLSLLLSLSSLSSSSSLSSLSSSLLSSLLLLS

"Now let's turn this into the computer language," she turned S into 0 and L into 1:

011001000110010100001011101001000001001000110011110

She opened her binary translator and inserted the numbers. She frowned. The only standard symbols were the letters "de" and a number 3. The code contained four more symbols making no sense.

"Let's not lose hope," she said. "Let's try it the other way around."

The translated code contained even less intelligible mash of symbols. Some of them couldn't be even comprehended by the browser Anna was using.

"Is this a dead end?" Diane asked.

"I'm afraid so," Anna sighed. "Maybe it's another test for our technology and no human being is able to understand this message. If that's so, it's possible that the Messengers will find us unworthy and will just... y'know. Kill all humans, annihilate the Earth, standard procedure."

Diane pointed her finger at Anna's chest. "You, girl, will now invent a way how to translate that shit. If you don't, I'm gonna be sooo mad at you when we get up there," she pointed at the sky.

"I'll do what I can," Anna said. "But no promises."

The atmosphere from yesterday was gone and the girls found themselves in an unpleasant tension again. Anna went back home, determined to work on the UFO's code. The panic caused by the first message returned; some people started to leave the city, some tried to solve the code like Anna, but most of them were simply afraid. UFO sighting wasn't anything uncommon, but it was the first time it brought a message.

"Look, sis," Diane said during the evening news. "Even the mayor is acknowledging this mess."

She was right. The TV was broadcasting a live speech of Gabriel's Gardens' mayor, Wilbur Whateley. He was standing tall in the city hall with several camcorders and cameras aimed at his stoic face. "The leadership of Gabriel's Gardens is already aware of the problem regarding the mysterious "Messengers" which appear to be extraterrestrial in origin," he said; the end of the sentence sounded relucant.

"The nature of the threat is still unknown to us. However, there's no need to panic. Gabriel's Gardens police department is prepared as much as possible and we have also contacted the army of the state California which is ready to help us if needed. There is still a big chance that we're facing some kind of false threat of a hoax. The theory about an extraterrestrial threat is considered the least probable. I repeat, there's no need to panic. Your leaders will take care of the thing since protecting our citizens is exactly what our work involves..."

"My ass," Diane muttered.

"We learned that the leadership of Gardens can't be trusted when they failed to spoil Kyle's party so we had to do it instead," Alexis noted. "One thing's for sure, I don't trust Whateley nor the army."

The internet was overflowing with possible solutions to the code. The solvers examined every tiny detail about the UFO's appearance, for example its trail before it stopped above Haven or the exact duration of the flashes measured in miliseconds. None of it, however, offered an acceptable solution.

"We could expect something harder after that obvious riddle with binary code," Diane said while reading a theory comparing UFO's alignment with the starfield above it. "When I see that flashing, I have a tiresome feeling that I've seen something like this somewhere. But I can't remember."

"Please, try to remember," Alexis said. "The early warning can get us a massive advantage."

"Alright, sis. I'll turn on my brain a bit."

<<>>

The next day, the panic of the Gardens' citizens grew tenfold. The reason was simple - a few people reported a sighting of tall, shiny, silver humaniod. Some sightings were reported simultaneously, so there was no way that any of the witnesses were lying. The descriptions were identical to the thing Anna saw.

"It looks like Messengers came for a visit," Diane said.

Alexis was scanning the internet, determined to find out more about the matter. Five sightings were reported and accessible to media: two in New Eden, one in Clearwater, one in Icaria and one in Serenity Cliff. The witnesses agreed that the figures could be seen only for a brief moment before disappearing in the trees or around the corner. They were leaving footprints, but the trail never led to anything useful.

Later, three more people decided to speak about their experience. Two of the new witnesses were from Icaria, one from Clearwater district. One of them even managed to shot a several seconds long, blurry and trembly video depicting a shiny silver being looking at the witness, then quickly disappearing.

"I'm not sure if it's a good idea to publish that video for everyone to see," Alexis frowned. "Look at it! It's unsettling as hell even for us - imagine watching this as a person who has no idea what's going on. This will only cause more hysteria and the mayor can't do anything about it!"

"I agree, it gives me chills," Diane nodded. "Aliens took over our city, waiting for the next move."

"Someone has to decipher that message," Alexis watched the video of the UFO's overflight several times again, desperately trying to find any system in seemingly random flashing. "Maybe it's not a code at all. Maybe they just want us to use something to reply in the same way. To confirm the reception and establish communication. Maybe they want to speak to us."

"Reply in the same way..." Diane frowned, thinking intensely. "What does it remind me of...?"

Alexis tried to help her. "Maybe it's some kind of signal."

"Oh yes, I got it!" Diane suddenly bursted out. "Do you know something about Morse code?"

"Slightly," Alexis admitted. "Isn't that the method of communication that's almost forgotten today?"

"Exactly. When we were younger, me and my gang learned Morse code to communicate, so we could pull pranks or send messages for longer distances - it was safer and more exciting than texting, and it made us feel like some kind of secret military group. All you need is a source of light - the letters are made from combination of long and short flashes. Could you play the video once more?"

Diane watched the video in a brand new light. "Yes, it's definitely Morse," she said. "See? From time to time, there's a longer pause between flashes. It indicates a letter. It would also explain why did nobody solve the riddle so far. Morse code belongs to history now, when we have much more advanced communication methods - I'd guess someone will solve it, but it's not entirely shocking that they didn't."

"There's only one question remaining," Alexis said. "What does it say?"

Diane watched the video again, skillfully noting short flashes as dots and long ones as lines on the paper. She also indicated longer pauses with a slash. Finally, she was done:

.--./.-././.--./.-/.-././..-./---/.-./.-././...-/./.-../.-/-/../---/-.

Alexis laughed. "This looks like the inscription on the Ring of Power."

"Very funny, Sauronette. Let's take a look at it... I wonder if I remember this stuff corectly. The first letter should be P, then R. One dot is E..."

After a while, the message was written on the paper with Diane's messy handwriting:

PREPAREFORREVELATION

"You did it," Alexis voiced. "Dee, you decoded the message!"

Diane smiled confidently. "See? Even a dumbass like me can be useful sometimes!"

"You were never a dumbass, Diane," Alexis assured her.

"I've been diagnosed with a slight form of dyslexia and attention deficit disorder," Diane replied. "That's the doctor way of saying I'm a dumbass. But now, we should call Annie and Masterton. I'd love to know what's that revelation we have to prepare for."

<<>>

Alexis immediately phoned the result to Professor Masterton who promised that he'll keep examining the message. In the meantime, Anna drove into the flat, gave Alexis a quick kiss and asked: "So? What's big news? Did Diane decipher that message by some accident?"

Diane smirked. "Believe or not, this is exactly what happened."

Anna's eyes widened. "No way."

The girls explained her the trick with the Morse code. "I see a pattern here," Anna said. "The first message was in binary, symbolizing the future. Morse code is linked to the past."

"So there will be one last message," Alexis said. "The present."

Anna nodded. "However, let's look at the solution. Prepare for Revelation. I'd say that they mean no harm to us and this message proves it. They want to share their knowledge with us. Reveal some of the biggest mysteries. Lots of people claim that it already happened in the past - many ancient cultures talk about the Sky teachers - the Gods that came from the sky to share their knowledge. Many researchers, including the famous Erich von Däniken, think that these "Gods" were actually aliens. How else would you explain that some of the tribal paintings and masks resemble either the Gray aliens or figures in a spacesuit?"

"Now you talk about that man with funny hair saying 'ALIENS' on that meme," Diane noted.

"But it makes sense," Anna defended herself. "Maybe they're preparing for the second coming. They decided that we've advanced enough to be shown new secrets and technologies."

"Sorry to ruin your fun," Alexis said, "but I have another explanation."

"Speak up."

"There's a biblical scripture called The Revelation of Saint John."

"And what does it have to do with our matter?" Diane asked.

Alexis sighed. "Revelation. In Latin, it's Apocalypse."

Her sister and her lover stared at her in terror. "Do you mean, like, the end of the world?" Diane voiced. "Oh God. Now I hope that Annie is right."

Alexis shrugged. "It's just my two cents. Maybe the Messengers don't speak biblical and will reveal us some important secrets, just like Annie said. But we have to prepare for everything."

"How can you prepare for a goddamn apocalypse?" Diane grumbled. "But we can't be mad at them, right? At least they gave us a warning before aiming a giant ass laser cannon at us and nyoom - eradicating us from the planet's surface. They may be cool guys after all."

"One thing still bugs me," Alexis said. "Why did they decide to spread their message here, in Gabriel's Gardens? There are much bigger and more important places, so why here?"

Diane shrugged. "It had to be somewhere."

"Maybe it's because this city is a symbol of human decadence," Anna spoke. "Look around you. This city is all about greed, violence, sex, crime. There are no places of worship, except your father's church. Gardens is widely known as the rotten city. If the Messengers wanted to give a warning about the incoming apocalypse, they'd do it here. I'm afraid that it further supports your apocalypse theory, my love."

"Stop it right here, Nostradamus," Diane said.

"There's still hope, though," Alexis said.

"After all this grim stuff about apocalypse and the city of sins, you have the guts to speak about hope?" Diane jeered. "There's no hope, only Zuul!"

"Hope dies last," Alexis shrugged. "Father taught us that."

"That's true, but right now, it's bruised and beaten like Bruce Willis at the end of a Die Hard movie. Maybe we should try, catch one of these silver boys and politely ask if they could delay the mass destruction a bit, one or two thousand years will be enough."

Alexis and Anna just looked at her with scepticism on their faces.

"What? You never know what can a nice word do! Man, I hope that someone shows up in the last second and saves us all. Guardians of the Galaxy, Power Rangers, Gordon Freeman, anyone."

"I'm afraid that we're in this alone," Anna said.

<<>>

The fear grew even bigger in the following five days. Two days after the girls deciphered the second message, someone else managed to break the Morse code and published the solution. Just like the girls, the people split into two groups - one of them believed that they'd be given divine knowledge and access to the biggest secrets, the other group, like Alexis, put the equation sign between Revelation and Apocalypse.

Even though Major Whateley tried to calm the people down, he was successful only partially. Some people decided to blindly trust the leaders, but most of them found it troublesome to ignore the threatening cryptic messages and sightings of tall silver beings. There weren't as many of them as during the first night of their appearance, but every morning, the news reported several new sightings.

The people, and especially the girls, waited impatiently for a new message, a sign, anything. But the Messengers decided to not communicate and the uncertainty was crippling.

Then finally, the Messengers delivered the final message.

It was attached to a pedestal of the statue on Angel Square. The pure white marble under the beautiful, naked angel statue was violated by a block of seemingly the same metal used to produce the tablet with the first message. As soon as the discovery was made public, huge crowds of people invaded the Square to see the message. This time, there was no code. Only letters forming intelligible English words engraved into the metal, emitting eerie green light, as if there was some light source inside the block.

The Messengers will arrive today

Angel Square, at the sunset

Prepare for Revelation

The three simple sentences were enough to start a hysteria. The religious people were rallying, despite the city's law which prohibited public religious events, and prepared for the Doomsday, claiming that the humankind will perish because of their sins by the hands of the Divine Messengers. Some people left Gabriel's Gardens in hopes that only the city will be destroyed. Some of them enjoyed the day as their last.

And then, there were people anticipating the arrival, sure that the theories about apocalypse are wrong and they'll be witnessing ascension of the humankind to a greater level. The leadership had to close the borders for that day because massive amounts of ufologists from outside the city were literally invading Gabriel's Gardens. Whateley was still continuing his speech: there's nothing to be afraid of, your leaders will take care of it.

Several people also tried to examine the metal block on the Angel Square, but upon touching it, they received a moderate electric shock, so they decided to leave the artifact alone.

The girls, including Anna, decided to visit Reverend Warren. Just in case. The old man seemed calm and reconciled with whatever may come. They had lunch together and talked casually, not trying to mention the imminent danger. Alexis tried to notice any sign of Warren's grudge against Anna, but there was none. The priest treated the impaired girl as his third adoptive daughter, not minding even when she held hands with Alexis.

"What do you think will happen today?" Alexis asked him before they left.

"I try not to guess," Warren replied. "I am ready for anything and if God calls me today, I'll take His hand and go with Him. I am already old and I have done my share of work here already. But I would be glad if we managed to survive this day - because of you. You are so young and full of promises. You have what it takes to become charming women important to this world. Some of you just discovered the miracle that is love," he looked at Alexis and Anna. "If I was able to sacrifice my old, fulfilled life so you can live, I wouldn't hesitate."

"Don't say such things," Alexis said, on the verge of tears.

"Who knows?" Warren continued. "Maybe we will be reborn in a kingdom of eternal joy and happiness. Maybe that's the Revelation they want to show us."

Diane smiled grimly. "In that case, I won't meet you there, considering the things I've done."

The priest hugged her. "Don't worry, my child. Your past sins are long forgotten and forgiven."

<<>>

Before the sunset, a huge part of the city's population gathered on the Angel square. The setting sun illuminated the white statue with a mysterious red glow and created an impressive scenery between the skyscrapers. The message was still there, glowing green letters reminding them of what's about to come.

In the crowd of both fearful and excited people, the girls managed to find Alyssa, Melody and Gray. Alyssa approached the problem with a calm face while Melody in Alyssa's arms seemed to be afraid. Gray Forrestal was holding his sister's hand with an unreadable expression.

"We can actually consider ourselves lucky," Alyssa noted. "We're the generation that will witness the alien invasion on Earth."

"Lyss... don't say that," Melody uttered.

Soon after, they found several other people they knew. Even Lenny Sorenson somehow found a way to escape the Morningstar district and travel here. His attitude was similar to Alyssa's - ready for anything.

"Good that I found you," he said. "If we die today, at least I can be with people that I actually like."

Alexis and Anna, holding hands, looked at each other. "The worst thing about it is that my life with you just began," Alexis sighed. "I wanted to grow old with you. To marry you one day, to do countless things with you. And maybe... maybe Fate won't allow us to do so." Several tears rolled down her face.

"I agree," Anna said. "But still... if this was the last week of my life, I can say that you turned it into the most beautiful week I could wish for. Thank you, Alexis. I love you and will love you even on the other side."

"So will I," Alexis leaned to her and before the sun hit the horizon, they enjoyed one last kiss.

"What about me?" Diane said.

Alexis hugged her tightly. "I'm proud to be your sister. Thank you... for everything."

She wanted to say more, but the city suddenly descended into a complete darkness only pierced by street lights and the sinister green letters. The crowd, noisy until now, went dead silent. Every second seemed like an hour. When nothing happened within a minute, some people started to laugh in relief.

Too early.

The space in front of the statue was struck by a blinding light which caused the people standing there to stumble a few steps backward. An otherworldly hum filled the Square as some people started to scream in panic. Anna clenched Alexis' hand even tighter.

When the light faded, they were there. Two tall, silver, faceless figures standing side by side.

"We are the Messengers," they spoke in unison with semi-mechanical, distorted voices. "We are here to bring you the Revelation. The humankind had a chance to change, but it's too late now."

"So we're gonna die after all," Anna voiced.

Then, one of the Messengers raised his hand and just peeled its face off. Nobody understood what was going on, they just watched how the silver sphere serving as the alien's head disappeared and revealed...

A human face.

It was a young man with bright blue hair and a tomboy smile.

"But that's... that's..." Diane was speechles, "that guy from Scarredsoul!"

"Oh my God," Anna said. "You're right."

Scarredsoul was an alternative hip-hop duo who was famous for its bizarre music videos and peculiar, ambiguous lyrics. The band was quite new, but their fanbase was rapidly growing. Their authentic music style was especially attractive for teenagers wanting to experience something new, unusual.

The crowd descended into confused mumbling. One name could be heard very frequently: Lester Underwood, that was the musician's name.

Soon after, the second alien took off its mask and revealed the face of Martin Addleton, the second half of Scarredsoul. His style was more modest; he didn't dye his hair in outrageous colors like Lester. It was short and dark, accompanied by stubble.

"That was fun, wasn't it?" Lester said with a mischief in his voice.

<<>>

"Can someone please explain what's happening here?" Major Whateley's angry voice was able to cut through the crowd's hum.

Lester Underwood ignored him. He raised his hands, his body down the neck still dressed in the silver alien costume. "We are... Scarredsoul!" he announced; the metal block with the message served as a speaker. "We're glad that you all gathered here today since we have an important message for you. We are finishing our new album which we decided to call The Revelation!"

Some people, probably Scarredsoul's fans, started to cheer. Other people laughed, realizing that they probably won't die today. But most of them were angry.

Martin noticed it. "C'mon, why those long faces?" he said. "You can't say you didn't have fun! Finding and decoding our messages, seeing us in our Messenger outfits, searching for hidden meanings... it's beneficial for the both sides - you got rid of that crippling boredom of your everyday lives and we gathered you all here to exclusively perform the first single from The Revelations!"

The duo's good mood was contagious and most of the people soon forgot about the fear that dwelled in their hearts just several minutes ago. A black van standing aside (that nobody had noticed until now) opened and several men started to build a drum set in front of the angel statue. Martin, the drummer, sat behind it.

"I think we managed to do something else for you today," Lester said. "Some of you thought that today's the last day of your life. How did you spend it? Did you do things you love the most? Spent time with your family, maybe reunited with some long-lost friends, or even forgiven a person who has done wrong to you in the past? And my question is: why don't you live like this every day? Do you really need a death threat to live to the fullest, to love and forgive? Take this as a chance to rethink your life. And make sure that when your last day really comes, you'll be leaving it happy and satisfied, aware that you left something valuable behind. And that's also the point of our new song, The Messengers."

Martin started to play a catchy melody on drums while Lester started with his fast-paced rapping:

If some random day, the Messengers would came, to point a laser gun at you and say: "Today's the day";

Would you go with smile? Or hesitate for a while? Or scream, cry, beg, shout and cling onto life?

Maybe it's too late; all you do is wait; missed a chance to do great, and now you feel only hate;

Hate towards you attitude which couldn't break the chain, step out of comfort zone not minding the pain;

Are you really satisfied when every day's the same, when life is a big game, which offers a big gain?

All the people on the square, more or less reluctantly, started to enjoy the song. The Scarredsoul members were right - that day opened their eyes and offered a new insight about their lives. Near the end of the song, most of the crowd was singing the melodic chorus alongside the band:

And if the Messengers would come, I would laugh them in the faces;

Knowing my life had some direction and I took all the offered chances;

And if the Messengers would come, I would look them in the eyes;

Full of hopes and expectations somewhere may be a paradise...

When the song ended, Scarredsould received a heartfelt applause. But not everyone was happy - Mayor Whateley stepped forward. "Boys, I'm afraid that you'll have to delay your album's release by a few years, because you're going to jail!" he shouted. He frowned in unpleasant surprise when the crowd started to boo at him. The people were ready to defend the eccentric band.

"You caused panic! Mass hysteria! I even had to mobilize army so you two stupid brats could promote their nonsense music!" he raged. "I'm sure you violated countless laws and I'll make sure you'll be brought to justice." He turned to Alyssa. "Officer Lafayete! Arrest them!"

Alyssa smiled and shook her head. "Too bad, Mr. Whateley. Me and Melody are big fans of Scarredsoul and I'm not willing to arrest them just because they managed to pull the most brilliant marketing move I've ever seen. I'm sorry, but you'll have to do it yourself."

"You can be sure I do! And this will bring consequences even to you, Miss Lafayette!"

"Come on, Mr. Whateley," Alyssa continued. "I think they should be forgiven just for this once. After all, nothing too serious happened. Please, let them go."

"Whatever," Whateley mumbled and left, initiating a wave of the crowd's cheering.

Alexis turned to Professor Masterton standing nearby. "There's only one more thing to settle," she said. "You claimed that the tablet is made from materials unknown to man. How do you explain that?"

Masterton smiled. "Let's say I also had a role in this little theatre. Lester and Martin asked me to 'find' the tablet and make that claim, to increase the mysteriousness of the whole thing. If I didn't, it could be debunked as a prank too easily. My grandchildren love this band, so I couldn't refuse."

Alexis laughed. "I should've figured it out earlier!"

"About the UFO carrying the Morse code, it was merely a drone," Masterton explained. "And your first sighting of the Messenger - it was also scripted. I was certain that you'll go to explore Calista's Peak, so I phoned Lester to dress as an alien and show himself a bit."

"Okay, looks like the case is solved," Diane said. "Everything makes sense and we're not going to die today. I have to admit they were right - it was fun."

"I'm a bit disappointed that they weren't real aliens, though," Anna said. "I hoped that we'll finally have an undebatable proof of their existence. It looks that the search will continue."

"But I am really glad that we won't die today," Alexis said. "So we can enjoy our love a little bit longer." She leaned to Anna and gave her another kiss, this time full of expectations, relief and hope.

Masterton turned to Diane. "Do they do that often?"

Diane smiled and shrugged. "It's still kinda fresh, so I think they'll be doing it very frequently in the upcoming days. Especially now, when they survived the apocalypse."