The Lives of Tao Read online

  “Hey Tao, how did you know what to fix on that java dump?”

  We were involved with the birth of the Internet since the mid-Sixties. There are large divisions of Quasing who advance our cause through the development of human technology. Just like your people, we specialize in different tasks. Some work on technology, others diplomacy, and still others military sciences.

  “So would I work in technology?”

  I am not talking about the host. The host adapts to his Quasing’s specialty, which in my case is infiltration and covert operations. While you obviously are not trained for this, I will teach you.

  “Well, I for sure am not cut out for that covert stuff.”

  We will cross that bridge when we get there.

  “That still doesn’t explain how you can read java code.”

  When you have lived as long as we do, you learn to accumulate a lot of different skills.

  “Sweet!” Roen’s grin grew wider as he fantasized about how much easier his life was about to become. With his own smart alien, he could breeze through work. He would definitely have more time on his hands now. Just let Tao do all the work, and they could go home early every day.

  I am not here to be your personal assistant.

  “Is there a way for me to block my thoughts from you?”

  None whatsoever.

  “That sucks.”

  Such is life. Live with it.

  “You know, for an all-wise alien, you’re quite snarky.”

  We have personalities like every other living creature. Just because I am an alien does not mean I am a Vulcan or some soulless robot.

  Roen rounded the corner toward the garage entrance and went down the stairs, to the sub-level where he parked. There were many cars parked down here. There must be an event going on in the park. Whistling and not paying attention, he dug out his keys and collided with an old man – wearing a black trench coat – who was just getting out of the car adjacent to his. Nearly bowling the man over, Roen dodged to the side at the very last moment and tripped, falling onto the floor. He cursed his clumsiness as he rubbed his skinned knee.

  “Sorry about that,” he mumbled, embarrassed.

  “It’s all right, young man. Let me help you up.” The old man reached for his hand.

  Stop. Do not touch him. Get up and move away.

  “Why? What’s going on, Tao?”

  Still, Roen did as he was told and picked himself up. “I got it,” he mumbled. “Are you all right?”

  The man smiled. “No problem...” He paused and studied Roen. “What’s your name, son?”

  Do not tell him!

  “Ro...” he began lamely.

  That is Omer Singh, host of Chiaolar, a Genjix! I recognize his face. He sensed something when you two collided, but could not identify me yet. He will if he touches your skin!

  “What’s a Genjix?”

  Your sworn enemy. You need to get away now!

  Roen froze. “I have a sworn enemy?”

  The old man continued smiling. “Nice to meet you, Ro, is it? I didn’t quite catch that. Old ears, you know.”

  Punch him in the face!

  “What?! He’s as old as my granddad!”

  Now! Punch him and get out of here!

  Roen knew this was going to end badly. He could see it now as he got hauled to jail for assaulting a senior citizen. Should he plead the insanity defense or the alien-told-me-to-do-it defense? Taking a deep breath and feeling guilty, Roen balled his hand into a fist and swung at Omer. That feeling of guilt faded when Omer calmly sidestepped the punch, grabbed Roen by the coat, and threw him against the wall. His head bounced off the concrete and Roen collapsed onto the floor.

  Omer stood over him, still wearing the pleasant smile. “Surveillance cameras in the garage reported a white Ford parking here over the past two weeks. That was half the puzzle. I apologize if it took me so long to follow up on the lead. There are many white cars to track, after all. This morning, the other half of the puzzle materialized in the shape of an obese man leaving that same white car. So, my question for you, son: are you the puzzle piece we’ve been looking for, and where were you two Fridays ago?”

  You need to escape. Omer Singh is an old enforcer. You are no match for him.

  Roen turned over, trying to crawl away. Omer chuckled and pinned him down with his boot. “You know, son, you made me late for a very important evening. It’s my anniversary, and I spent it sitting in this dank, cold place. My old bones don’t handle the chill so well anymore. Hold still for a moment.” He grabbed a mass of Roen’s hair and pushed down. Roen’s forehead bounced off the hard floor once more. “Hello, Tao.” Omer smirked. “We’ve been looking for you.”

  He is next to you on your right. Turn around, grab his ankle, and roll. On my mark... now!

  In an absolute panic, Roen blindly followed Tao’s instructions. He turned over as fast as he could, grabbed the first ankle he got his hands on, and kept rolling. Omer squawked in surprise as he lost his footing and fell onto his knees.

  Run! Stay low. Weave through the cars.

  Roen scrambled to his feet and ran. Omer snarled, and suddenly Roen heard a loud bang, and then a windshield near him exploded into glass shards.

  “Jesus, did he just shoot at me?” Roen turned the corner and ran north, passing by several rows of cars. Several more bullets hit cars and shattered more windows. “God, he’s trying to kill me!”

  Doubtful, he is most likely aiming for a non-vital area.

  “Every part of me is vital!”

  Focus. Stay very low, turn to your right once you pass this wall. See that minivan near the opposite corner? Make a beeline toward it and hide behind the rear tire. The minivan, not the truck.

  “That truck over there is much bigger. Why not that?”

  Because if I was Omer, that would be where I look first. Slow your breathing and be quiet.

  Roen slowed and began to crawl on all fours, inching next to the minivan and hiding behind one of the tires. He put a hand over his mouth and tried without much success to stay calm.

  “How do you know this guy? What’s a Genjix?”

  I will explain later. And yes, I have dealt with Omer before.

  The sound of footsteps grew louder, echoing all over the garage. Omer was whistling as he walked into this section of the garage where Roen was hiding. Roen peered through the minivan’s windows and saw Omer’s back to him, looking around.

  “You must be new,” Omer called out. “Do you even know what is going on? What if I told you I could help? I can take that voice out of your head. Why don’t you come out? We’ll talk.” Omer knelt down and scanned the floor. Roen tried to shrink as small as he could behind the tire.

  Next time Omer is facing away from you, climb on to the bumper. Put your back to the wall and lift your feet onto the rear bumper. He will be looking for your feet. It is your only chance.

  The whistling and footsteps became louder. Ever so slowly, Roen moved into a crouching position and lifted one leg on the rear bumper of the van. It shifted under his weight but did not make any noise. He leaned his back to the wall and lifted his other leg. Immediately, his legs burned from the strain. He groaned and bit his lip. His thighs and calves began to stiffen and ache.

  “I can’t hold myself up much longer.”

  Focus through the pain! Steady your breathing.

  “Holy crap! My quads, burning like the heat of a thousand suns…”

  Take long breaths. Relax your upper body.

  There were sounds of another set of footsteps approaching. “Hey, what’s going on here? Someone reported loud noises. Has there been an accident, sir? Oh my...”

  There was another loud bang and a short painful cry. Roen squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth. This couldn’t be happening! Time slowed and he could hear the rapid beating of his heart.

  After what felt like an eternity, the footsteps and whistling faded, replaced by the sound of sirens. With a loud gasp, Roen fell to
the floor and held his legs gingerly. They were cramped and he was barely able to stand. He leaned against the wall and rested for a few moments. “He just killed someone! What did he mean by helping me?”

  I will explain later. The police will be here any moment. You have to get away. Head north and take the stairs at the far end.

  “My car...”

  Forget your car. It has already been compromised. Run!

  “I am not leaving my car here. Do you know how much they charge to keep it here overnight?”

  We will deal with that later. Would you rather pay the extra charge or die?

  Tao had a point. A cacophony of sirens was playing directly over his head. There would be a lot of questions if they found him here. Roen ran as fast as he could, reaching the stairs and finally reaching Randolph Street. It was packed with people passing through to a concert just down the block. He stood frozen, unsure of what to do next.

  Act casual, call a cab.

  Roen waved one down and was soon on his way home. “What is going on, Tao? You never said anything about enemies! Are they Quasing too?”

  The Genjix are our enemy. I apologize for not speaking of this earlier. I thought it best to tell you about them at a later time. They must have been tracking you. But yes, they are Quasing as well.

  “Why are you fighting? Aren’t you all trying to get home?”

  Starting from the period you refer to as the Dark Ages, our kind split over philosophical differences in our handling of the humans. Some believed that humans were too unfocused and primitive, and needed conflict as a means for technological evolution. Others wanted to guide humanity toward a more peaceful direction. Eventually, the philosophical rift became too large and we split into two factions, choosing to pursue our means through different methods. The Genjix felt that if we were not with them, we were against them.

  “And this was a piece of information you thought I could be told at a later time?”

  That is not the last you will see of them. We have to ready you for our war, your war now. We have to prepare you for what lies ahead.

  “Are you kidding? Do I look like someone prepared to fight? I just got my ass handed to me by a guy who gets a senior discount at The Pancake House.”

  We are going to teach you everything you need to know to survive. Like it or not, you are now a soldier. You must learn the craft of war. Most importantly, you must realize that you are fighting for humanity’s freedom as well. If the Genjix succeed, humanity will become embroiled in an endless cycle of conflicts.

  “Well, what if I don’t want to fight your war? If I wanted to risk my life, I would’ve joined the army. I have a very low pain threshold. I’m an active coward for very specific reasons.”

  I am sorry, Roen. I know it is not a choice you wished to make, but that choice is no longer yours. I am here and cannot leave until your death. I did not mean to thrust this upon you, but our fates are now intertwined.

  Roen buried his head into his hands for several minutes. Finally, he felt brave enough to look up. “What do we do now?”

  Go home and get some rest.

  Omer hid behind several trees in Millennium Park and watched as the police lights lit up the streets. He took note of every car that pulled out of the garage exit. None of them was a white car. Tao wouldn’t be that stupid. There were too many exits to cover though.

  He shook his head as he lit a cigarette and walked away from the crime scene. It would have to do. Omer had done his job and identified Tao. Obviously, the boy was untrained, or an old agent such as himself wouldn’t have had such an easy time.

  Omer exhaled and slowed his heart rate. He had not tasted close combat in a long time. It was too bad his orders were to take the target alive. Otherwise, Omer was sure he could have killed the new vessel even if his eyes weren’t what they used to be.

  He’d have to report back as soon as possible, while the description of this host was fresh in his memory, which meant it would likely be a few more hours before he got home. No matter, the plans tonight had already been wasted anyhow. This was now his priority. He knew Chiaolar was already displeased for letting the prey escape. Omer had been a faithful vessel since he was a young man and had no intention of risking his standing.

  “Forgive me, Chiaolar.”

  Your failure has already been noted. Contact the kill team at once.

  “As you command, Holy One.”

  Omer took the long route back to his car to avoid the heavy police presence. He opened the door and stared at the bouquet of flowers lying in the passenger seat. His wife would understand. He had more important matters to attend to.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  TRAINING

  The music started playing.

  Please, not again. Roen, wake up.

  Roen turned over and mumbled something incomprehensible, pulling the blanket over his face. Taking control of the body, Tao pulled the blanket off and exposed his ears to the full blast of the radio. Roen groaned and grasped for any sort of cover.

  Roen, time to train. Get. Up.

  Yawning, Roen rolled over and buried his head back into the pillow. “Training for what? God, it’s early. What time is it?”

  Five.

  Roen paused, lifted his head, and blinked at the clock. “Why is my alarm set for 5am?”

  I set it while you were asleep. Today is your first day of training. The next time you get assaulted by a senior citizen, I want you to have a fighting chance.

  “What do you mean you set my alarm? How?”

  We will get to that another time. Right now, you have more important tasks at hand.

  “Why are you able to read my thoughts, but I can’t read yours? That’s hardly fair.”

  If life was fair, you would already be Special Ops, and I would not have to waste time dragging you out of bed. Now, time for a jog.

  “Then, why bother talking to me? Can’t you just read my mind?”

  The human brain works like a computer. I can extract the information out of you, but it takes some time and much effort. It is faster if we communicate directly.

  Roen sighed, shut off the alarm, dragged himself to the bathroom, and brushed his teeth.

  “I hate jogging. Can’t you just put me on a diet?”

  We are doing that too. I threw out all your frozen dinners.

  “What?!” Roen protested angrily with the toothbrush still in his mouth. “That’s supposed to last me the whole week!”

  They are also the reason why you huff and puff walking up stairs.

  “Wait, how did you throw my stuff out?”

  Quit stalling and get dressed, and bring some cash too.

  “Ooh, are we going to breakfast?”

  Roen finished washing up and rummaged through his closet for anything resembling workout clothes. He finally found an old pair of basketball shorts and a shirt he hadn’t worn in years. They fit him like a bodysuit. Feeling ridiculous, he grabbed a small wad of cash from his desk and left the apartment building. He shivered in the cool wet morning and frowned as he walked down the street. There was a gentle breeze coming from the lake, and the grass was wet from a thick layer of dew. The eerie morning calm was unsettling.

  “Where’re we going?”

  Down this street and make a right. Run until you hit the lake.

  “What! The lake? You’re crazy.”

  You are the one talking to yourself.

  “Don’t make me regret thinking I’m sane.”

  Hush. Just run.

  Roen began jogging at a slow pace down the street. This was the first time in years he remembered voluntarily jogging. Except for that time he was chased by a rabid dog, the last time he remembered running was back in high school. And since neither the run from the dog nor the one in high school was actually optional, this could be the first time he ever voluntarily ran. Now that he thought about it, this morning jog wasn’t much of a choice either.

  His chest and legs were burning before he reached the end of the block,
and he slowed even more. Roen passed by a café, where the smell of hot coffee and breakfast beckoned. His stomach growled, unused to not being fed first thing in the morning.

  “It hurts, Tao. Since this is my first time, can I turn back now?”

  You want to quit already?

  “Yes. I mean, no. I mean, I’m tired. Besides, this is embarrassing. People are laughing at me.”

  Forget about them and stop making excuses to fail.

  “I’m not. I’m just being practical. Come on, I look idiotic.”

  I remember you saying that you were disappointed in how your life turned out and that you used to think that you could have made something of yourself.

  “Yeah, so?”

  Do you know why that never came true?

  “Because my parents forced me to study engineering in college and I had a string of bad luck. It’s not my fault I’m in a job I can’t leave. I have responsibilities now.”

  You can always leave your job if you choose to. No one forces you to go to work. They do not lock you up at night. Stop blaming your job and your family for your problems. I have looked into your past, Roen. The problem is you do not seize opportunities when they present themselves. You always quit before things get hard.

  Roen stopped running halfway across the bridge over the interstate and leaned over the railing’s edge, trying to catch his breath. “That’s not true! I wasn’t given the chance to succeed. If this is supposed to be a pep talk, you suck at it.”

  It is not supposed to be a pep talk. You have had plenty of opportunities in life. You could have chosen to do anything you wanted in college, but you chose the safe route. You could have moved out of the city, but you were afraid of exploring new places. When you hated your job, you could have chosen other pursuits, but you were too lazy. You made your own bed, and now curse others for putting you there.

  “You don’t know me. You don’t know what I had to go through. You go to hell!”

  But I do know you. I have searched your thoughts and memories. Tao’s sympathy just infuriated Roen even more. I know what haunts you and what regrets you stow away. I find it very sad that you have more regrets in life than happy memories.