"Laura just went batshit at me".
Kasim looks confused.
"Can we deal with family issues later?"
"No, I mean she went batshit because I think Lifeforce summoned up the ghost of our dead dad!"
Kasim looks shocked.
"He can access the Veil!?"
"Maybe he's getting stronger?"
Kasim looks concerned.
"If he can access the Veil and pull spirits from it, then it shows he's getting stronger. Are you sure it was your dad that appeared?"
"She had a go at me about a very personal thing regarding our Dad. So, yeah, pretty sure".
Kasim thinks.
"So what do we do, Speedfreak?"
"I have no idea. I could speak to the Akara?"
Kasim looks confused.
"The who?"
"The Goddess of Time".
"...Sure. If you think it'd help!"
Jody nods and walks off. Laura and Mel hug as Laura finishes telling Mel what happened. Warren and Kasim look at each other concerned.
******
Jody walks into an empty room and locks it. He does a quick search of the room to make sure no-one else is watching. When he's satisfied, he closes his eyes.
*Oh, Akara, creator and keeper of space and time, I require your audience...*
"You only ever need ask, my child..."
Jody turns to see her. It's the first time he's seen her. She's beautiful. Dressed in pure white, her blonde hair overlapping it like waves on a shore. She smiles at him.
"I've waited a long time for your call, Jody Kent..."
Jody looks confused.
"You...you have?"
"Yes. I'm glad to see you've become Caretaker. I like seeing my plans come to fruition!"
Jody looks shocked.
"You...planned this?"
"I planned for you to become Caretaker. Nothing else. I must admit, it's fun watching you on your first major case. The adversary changes every time!"
"What do you mean, every time?"
"That is not of importance. What do you need to ask me?"
Jody forcibly puts aside his former question.
"We're up against someone called Lifeforce. Someone who is consuming souls before they can enter the Veil. He'll have enough soul energy to enter the Veil and consume it all if we don't stop him. But we think he has the ability to project souls from the Veil to this realm. He projected my Earth Dad..."
"I know of Lifeforce. You've faced him many times before. But he does not have the power to project souls from the Veil onto the realm of the living..."
Jody thinks.
"So Laura didn't see Dad?"
"No. She did not".
"Damn..."
"But Lifeforce does have one ability that you don't know about..."
"What?"
"Once he has enough souls, he can combine all the soul energy into one malleable form. And, from that, he can create any form he wants for a short period. He has had psychic abilities in some adventures. He must have seen into Laura's mind, saw your Earth Dad, and tried to win her over by using his form to persuade her. In that respect, the only person who can keep him at bay would be Visionarie..."
"Visionarie?"
"She's someone who's yet to appear in your future".
Jody looks annoyed.
"What can we do to stop him!?"
"The only person who could help you is still very young and is not connected to the Veil yet. She is of no help to you".
"Yes, but what can I do NOW!? You said I've faced him many times before. Surely there's something you can tell me about those times that can help me!?"
"I can't tell you..."
"WHY!?"
"Because I do not have access to those events".
"...yet you know they happened?"
"It's very complicated to explain".
"Tragedy made the same allusion..."
Akara looks sad.
"There is...ONE thing...that might help..."
"Tell me!"
"It's risky..."
"Just TELL me..."
"It puts your sister at risk..."
Jody freezes.
"You sister also has access to the Veil. Not in the same way as the young woman I had in mind, but she still can. Your sister might be able to open a portal to the Veil that causes all the souls from the Earth Veil to walk the realm of the living..."
"What good will that do?"
"The soul energy from transfer will be too overwhelming for Lifeforce. Soul energy is like a magnet. Lifeforce is one magnet, but the rest of the Veil is a much more powerful magnet. The energy consumed by Lifeforce will be returned to the Veil. The spirits that occupied the energy will remain lost but at least the final part of their essences will be at rest..."
Jody thinks.
"So...the spirits of the dead will walk the Earth once more?"
"Yes".
Jody looks sickened.
"All the dead will return...people's loved ones will return for a brief moment...only to be taken away cruelly once everything is back to normal?"
"Yes..."
Jody thinks.
"I can't do that to the entire world..."
"If you want to stop Lifeforce, you have to. You can't kill him..."
"I can try..."
"You're the Caretaker. You cannot kill. Besides, what are you so afraid of?"
Jody gives her evils.
"I'm not scared of anything..."
"Liar..."
Jody leaves the room with Akara watching him. Jody closes the door and leans against it for a moment. He knows Akara's right about what they have to do, but how can he sell it to everyone else?
******
"You're insane..."
"Laura..."
"No! I'm not going to do it!"
Jody leans across the table.
"We don't have a CHOICE! If it stops Lifeforce, then we have to do it!"
"You want to break the world's heart? No one knows the Veil exists bar us! Do we really want to reveal that to the world?"
"DO YOU HAVE A BETTER IDEA!? BECAUSE, IF YOU DO, I'M ALL FUCKING EARS!"
"DON'T SHOUT AT ME!"
Jody takes a deep breath and sighs.
"Look, Laura, I know it will hurt like a bitch but I can't see another way around it! Akara suggested it, so we ought to do it!"
"And you'll blindly follow Akara, will you?"
"She gave us our powers, why shouldn't we listen to her?"
"BECAUSE SHE'S PUT US THROUGH HELL!"
"If Lifeforce wins, there will be hell. All souls will be consumed and Lifeforce will be the most powerful being on Earth!"
Mel steps away from the table.
"When I was 6, I was in town with my Mum..."
Everyone looks around. She continues.
"We were just off the High Street. I'd just got a book I really wanted. 'Scrapman'. I was so excited, I was running and jumping on the pavement..."
Mel's face looks sad.
"Suddenly, there was a huge gust of wind. It'd been windy all day but there was a particularly strong gush. I was in mid air when it struck and, being very thin and very small, not weighing much, it carried me into the middle of the road. A car came speeding round the corner and, I knew. I knew that was it. Moments before the car hit me, I felt myself fly again. I closed my eyes thinking another gust of wind had got me. That's when I heard a bang and a screech. I opened my eyes a few moments later to be confronted with the bloody face of my mum. Her eyes open but unresponsive. She managed to run into the road and push me out of the way...but she was hit in the process. She died the moment her head hit the road..."
Everyone looks sad.
"If we do this, Mum will appear...won't she..."
Jody nods. Mel smiles.
"At least then I'll get a chance to say thank you and a proper goodbye..."
There's a moment's pause before Warren speaks up.
"I became a cop because my partner, my high-school sweetheart, was murdered. She'll probably come back to me. As will Roberta..."
Jody looks uneasy. Kasim speaks up.
"My mum died during a diplomatic mission to Syria. IED".
Laura speaks up once more.
"My dad died during the Leptil invasion".
"OUR dad".
"He was more my Dad than yours..."
Jody looks insulted. They all look at each other and nod. Laura reluctantly agrees.
"Ok. Fine. How do we do this?"
"You need to go to the Veil and alert them to our plan. Lifeforce stops. TONIGHT".
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