Anaz-Voohri Read online

  ANAZ-VOOHRI

  By

  Vijaya Schartz

  ISBN:

  PUBLISHED BY:

  http://bookswelove.net

  Books We Love Ltd.

  (Electronic Book Publishers)

  192 Lakeside Greens Drive

  Chestermere, Alberta, T1X 1C2

  Canada

  Copyright 2006 by Vijaya Schartz

  Cover Art by Sheri McGathy Copyright 2010

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the right under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stores in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book

  Eight hundred year ago,

  The Great Ones descended from the sky,

  And their vessels hovered above the desert floor,

  Like flocks of hummingbirds as big as houses.

  They selected the best Anasazi warriors

  To take them to their home in the stars,

  Raining death and destruction

  On the rest of the tribe.

  But among the stars of the Pleiades,

  The proud warriors found only slavery.

  No more Anasazi but part man, part machine,

  They became the Anaz-voohri,

  The fiercest fighters in the known galaxies

  When they finally spilled the blood of their captors,

  The Anaz-voohri went in search of a home,

  A safe harbor to grow in numbers and in might,

  Before embarking on their conquest of the universe.

  Remembering the legends told by the shamans,

  They turned to the planet of their ancestors,

  A mythical blue orb called Earth

  Chapter One

  Los Angeles - July 2003

  Zack woke up with a start, unable to see anything. Anything at all. Had the power gone out? A subtle vibration permeated the house. Earthquake? No. Earthquakes didn’t make the walls sing.

  Something was wrong. With no glow from the digital clock or from his computer screen, Zack tossed his blanket aside and felt his way to the window. He pulled up the black roman shade and lifted the glass pane. The sweet fragrance of roses from the front yard filled the room. As he craned his neck outside, the second story view revealed a full moon but no street lights in the whole residential area of Granada Hills. Had all of Los Angeles blacked out?

  Outside, the strong vibration shook the foliage of the eucalyptus trees. As far as Zack could see, the streets and houses looked dark and quiet. Too dark, too quiet, with no breeze, no birds, not even the chirp of a cricket.

  Moonlight filtering into the room illuminated the life-size poster of Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider. As the vibration intensified, something familiar tugged at Zack’s mind. Ashley? His baby sister screeched for help in his head! She was terrified.

  Rushing out of the bedroom, Zack stumbled over his sneakers and stepped into the ink black hallway. The vibration shook the hardwood under his bare feet. The smell of burnt rubber or heated machinery assaulted his nostrils. How weird!

  Feeling his way along the wall, Zack turned the corner and saw an outline of white radiance around Ashley’s door. He’d left it ajar last night.

  Wearing only his boxers and tee-shirt, Zack shivered when a malevolent breeze coursed across his skin, as if to keep him away. Was he dreaming? He bit his lip. It hurt, and the coppery taste of blood filled his mouth. Wide awake! His heart beat so hard, it threatened to explode.

  Outside Ashley’s door, their Persian cat arched his back and hissed, spooked. His bristled tail rose straight up in the air, sparking with static electricity.

  “What’s going on in there, Dude?" Zack whispered, his heart faltering. He swallowed with a dry throat, remembering the horror movies he used to enjoy watching. But this was no movie, and he couldn’t stand the thought of his baby sister in any danger.

  Zack moved sluggishly, like through water with weights on his ankles. Had the air become dense? Had he landed in the middle of a strange videogame? Finally he pushed the door open. Blinded by bright light, Zack stood paralyzed. He tried to step inside, to no avail. His legs refused to move.

  Unable to scream his frustration, he remained frozen in the doorway, immobilized by a strange force that controlled his body. As his eyes adjusted to the brightness, the unobstructed view of his sister’s room chilled his spine.

  Bent over the bed, a tall creature of humanoid proportions hovered above the floor, wearing a long, shimmering cape that accentuated its square shoulders. Seven-year-old Ashley, her blue eyes wide with terror, blonde curls framing her tan face, clutched her favorite Barbie Doll, her mouth open in a silent wail.

  Get away from my sister, you freak! No word came out of Zack’s mouth.

  The creature turned to face Zack. Under the hood, the bald skull glowed from within, blue, pink and green, like a see-through phone. The face had large oval eyes, milky skin, elongated cheeks, and a straight thin mouth etched with grim determination.

  Hang on, Ashley, I’m coming. When Zack attempted to rush the creature, his feet stuck to the floor. He tried to yell but his vocal cords remained mute. He wanted to break the freak’s skull, bloody the monster’s small nose, make it feel pain. What did this thing want with his baby sister?

  The creature turned its attention to a small device it held in spidery fingers. The bright light shrunk to a wide oblique beam that angled out through the gaping window. Beyond it, an ominous shadow hung above the house. The vibration emanated from it. Zack couldn’t believe what he saw. A spacecraft?

  Howling inside, but unable to intervene, Zack watched as the creature lifted his frightened sister from the bed. Ashley didn’t protest when the monster wrenched the Barbie doll from her grip and threw it back on the blanket. Then the monster stepped into the beam of light and floated out the window with its prize. The paralyzing hold ebbed. Zack staggered into the room toward the window. He wanted to call for help but his throat still refused to make any sound.

  As Zack stepped after them into the beam of light, the creature had almost reached the waiting craft. The alien pointed a small device at Zack. The shot sizzled and shook him like an electroshock. Zack’s legs buckled from the pain. He hit the plush pink rug and darkness engulfed him.

  *****

  Somewhere above the Pacific Ocean

  As her spaceship flew over the dark ocean, Captain Kavak, Exalted Leader of the Anaz-voohri fleet, cursed the intervention of Ashley’s brother. Surprised by his persistence and distracted by the child in her arms, Kavak hadn’t checked the setting on her weapon before firing. She hoped the charge had killed the young man. Well, even if it didn’t, it would definitely scramble the memory of their encounter.

  Kavak didn’t like sloppy work. She didn’t tolerate it from her underlings and didn’t want it known that she may have slipped. This particular mission required stealth, not slaughter, and she should have avoided detection, not to mention confrontation. But the truth be told, Kavak lusted for bloodshed as much as the next Anaz-voohri warrior, if not more.

  Through the clear hull of the piloting deck, an island chain appeared, like a line of ducklings floating on the dark waters below. Humans called these islands Hawaii. Tonight, the sand beaches sparkled in the moonlight. On her screen, Kavak pinpointed a precise cove dotted with sparse houses. Previous scanning of the area had revealed that an exceptional child lived there, a little girl with great intelligence, a strong spirit, and even an auspicious name, Celene, after one of the Pleiades stars.

  Human females, less intimidating than males in that society, would provide the perfect w
eapon for Kavak’s plan. She would use these little girls as effective tools to bring about the destruction of their own species. And they would destroy humanity without further endangering the precious planet of Kavak’s ancestors, already damaged by these careless fools.

  Waving her hands over the panel in front of the pilot’s chair, Kavak linked her electronic brain to the ship’s controls and brought the vessel to hover above a white sand beach. She set the small ship on idle and rose from the chair. Time to go get her last girl, Celene.

  As the captain of the Anaz-voohri fleet, Kavak didn’t have to participate in the harvesting of human girls, but she had a weak spot for this little blue planet and never missed an opportunity to study or visit Earth. She’d offered to collect two girls out of twelve. As she glided down the light beam, a dog barked in the distance. Kavak willed the silly animal to choke on its tongue. The barking strangled then stopped. She’d better not attract attention this time.

  Glancing up at the night sky, Kavak admired the multitude of stars. She breathed in the salty ocean air and delighted in the sound of the surf on the shore. She would enjoy living on this beautiful planet. Maybe she would raise a batch of little warriors, realizing the dearest dream of her declining race, or better yet, she’d run a military academy for the miracle generation that would bring new hope and glory to the Anaz-voohri nation.

  Kavak approached the modest bungalow shadowed by palm fronds that trembled from the vibration of the ship hovering nearby. How serene, how peaceful... An assortment of shoes sat by the side of the door, but Kavak following her instinct, circled the house toward a sealed window pane topped with two rows of open louvers. She couldn’t see through the drawn curtains, but she could sense the chosen girl sleeping inside, breathing, stirring.

  Humans thought themselves safe inside closed rooms. How naive of them. The weapon at Kavak’s belt flew into her hand. Adjusting the setting, she linked her mind to the weapon, focused on the glass and fired. With a soft whooshing sound, the window vaporized into a cloud of glittery dust, sending the curtains billowing.

  After brushing the residue off her shoulders, Kavak pushed aside the curtains as she rose and floated inside the room, approaching the small bed. Sleeping peacefully with no sheets or blankets, Celene sucked her thumb. Unlike Kavak, the child had two perfectly formed hands. How unfair. The girl looked about six, wearing red shorts and t-shirt. A sweet, subtle flower scent emanated from her tan skin and long auburn curls. What was it about the human fascination with hair?

  A large white cat on the child’s bed hissed and meowed aggressively at the intruder. Not one of those again! The pesky beasts seemed immune to mind control. The feline swatted at Kavak, all claws and fangs, scratching her skin veneer, then it scampered away. Too late. The stupid animal had disturbed the sleeper.

  Kavak had no other choice than to neutralize the waking child. She switched the controlling device from her deformed four-fingered hand to her thumbed hand. When she pushed a pictograph on it, a high-pitched whine, an ultrasound meant to incapacitate humans, filled the room. Green eyes wide with terror, little Celene opened her mouth as if to scream, but no sound came out. A tear rolled down her face as the child lay helpless on the bed. Kavak snatched Celene, slung her over her shoulder then levitated out the gaping window. Carrying the child back to the ship, she ascended along the shaft of light.

  Once inside the ship, Kavak deposited the neutralized Celene on a long couch next to little Ashley, who lay motionless. When Kavak pushed a dial on her handheld instrument, both girls closed their eyes. She’d induced deep sleep.

  This completed Kavak’s collection. She returned to the piloting seat. A good harvest, according to the commander in charge of gathering the other girls. Linking her mind to the ship’s controls, she passed her hand across the console and welcomed the familiar vibration as the ship soared toward the stratosphere.

  Once in high orbit, Kavak rendezvoused with the two other collecting ships. Together they flew toward the huge science vessel hidden from Earth on the dark side of the moon. After docking, Kavak picked up both girls, slung one over each shoulder, then hovered through hatches and corridors into the nursery prepared for them on the science vessel.

  The scientist in charge had insisted that they decorate the dome with painted-desert colors, to make their charges feel more at home. And what could be more auspicious than depictions of Kokopelli, the flute player, a motif already familiar to many humans?

  “Where are the other girls?" Kavak asked a medical attendant.

  The female medic in a white gown saluted. “They are docking now, Exalted Leader. I’ll help bring them in."

  The medic rushed out of the nursery. Within minutes, each of the twelve beds had an occupant. The human girls ranged from two to nine in age. At the head of each bed, engraved nameplates labeled the occupants.

  Collecting charges made Kavak thirsty. She willed a cabinet door to open and linked her brain to the dispenser inside. “Martini, make that three,” she uttered, “after all, it’s a celebration." She could hardly wait for the heavenly drink.

  The machine poured a clear liquid into three conical glasses and dropped two olives in each of them. The ritual warmed Kavak in anticipation. She took one glass, sipped the drink, then sighed. “Delicious."

  A replica of the earthly martini to be sure, but still quite good, it made her throat tingle. Like most Anaz-voohri, Kavak had a weakness for liquor, the only worthwhile products humans had ever engineered. When she controlled Earth, she would drink only the real thing.

  Glass in hand, Kavak glided toward the chief scientist already examining the oldest girl, a tall pale child with long blond hair. The plaque on the bed read Tierney. Kavak nodded toward the girl. “This one looks much older than the others. Will that be a problem?”

  “On the contrary, Exalted Leader. She is exceptionally strong, healthy and willful for a human." The scientist beamed, no doubt flattered by the special attention from his leader. “She will serve us well.”

  Kavak only hoped the scientist could deliver. “Are they strong enough to survive the procedure?”

  “Difficult to determine at this point, Exalted Leader." The scientist made a disgusted face. “Humans are such weaklings." He smiled as if to reassure Kavak. “But I will do my very best to implant the new hardware and reprogram their DNA as smoothly as possible.”

  “I am counting on you. The future of our people is at stake." Kavak dared to hope. It would take twenty Earth years for this project to mature, but for Kavak and her race, time passed differently. They didn’t age and enjoyed healthy lives that lasted many centuries. The human girls, however, did not, so they had to hurry.

  Kavak’s first Commander, who had collected most of the girls for the experiment, entered the room. Kavak willed the tray holding the two extra martinis to levitate toward the Commander, who smiled at the rare gesture and took one glass. Kavak directed the tray toward the surprised scientist, who accepted the drink with excessive gratitude. Kavak didn’t trust scientists, never had. Then the tray levitated back inside the cabinet.

  “You did well, Commander." Kavak turned to the scientist. “Make sure your work goes without incident." She raised her glass in the human traditional toast, inviting them to do the same, and declared solemnly, “To the end of humanity.”

  “To the end of humanity!” the other two hailed with enthusiasm.

  *****

  Zack opened his eyes, prompted by the loud purr of Dude, who kneaded his chest and licked his face with a scratchy tongue. Green, round eyes blinked at him, and Dude meowed softly.

  Zack tried to get up from Ashley's pink, shaggy carpet and regretted his sudden move. His head pounded like an anvil under a sledge hammer. He shivered despite the morning sun coming in through the open window and the slight motion made his whole body ache. When he glanced at the empty bed with the Barbie doll askew on the blanket, the horror of the night rushed back to him. Ashley!

  Zack struggled to his feet and
inspected the gaping window. The glass was gone! How could this happen? Why had the freaking alien taken Ashley?

  Stumbling to the bathroom, Zack splashed water on his face and grimaced in the mirror. His aqua-blue eyes looked almost gray today. Not a good sign. He finger-raked his rebellious chestnut hair away from his high forehead, then snatched a pair of jeans from the floor. He shook as he slipped them on, and then staggered into the hallway. He had to hold on to the railing to make it down the stairs.

  He resisted the temptation to call for Ashley. No one would answer, Ashley was gone... What should he do? His stepfather would kill him when he learned Ashley had been kidnapped while he babysat.

  Zack crossed the living-room gingerly, picked up the phone and dialed nine-one-one. Not that the police could help much, but he had to do something, notify the authorities. As the phone rang on the other end, he wondered what he would tell them. That an alien creature had abducted his sister in the middle of the night? Who’d believe it?

  “Nine-one-one operator, what is the emergency?”

  Zack took a deep breath. “My baby sister is missing.”

  “How old is she?" The friendly female voice sounded genuinely concerned.

  “She’s seven, her name is Ashley.”

  “Taken from her bed at night?”

  “Yeah, how’d you know?”

  “Another missing girl!” he overheard the operator calling to someone else at the dispatch center. “What’s your address, sir?”

  “What do you mean? There are others?" Zack’s knees weakened and he dropped to the couch. This was huge. He felt it.

  “It’s all over the news, sir. Several girls were reported missing from their bed this morning. The reports keep coming.”

  Cradling the phone with his shoulder, Zack snatched the remote and turned on CNN.

  On the screen, a female reporter in a raincoat stood before a two-story gabled house with harvested fields in the background. “We are speaking with Rich Porter, father of a missing two-year-old, here at the family farm." The reporter sounded almost casual. “Tell us how you first discovered your child had been kidnapped?”