Anyone Else

Anyone Else

By

Peter Stevens

Anyone Else

Peter Stevens

Copyright 2010 Peter Stevens

Smashwords Edition

All characters in this book are fiction and any resemblance to any person, either living, or deceased is purely coincidence.

No part of this book may be used without express written consent from the author

All rights reserved.

Owned and distributed as an eBook by http://www.nicholashalls.co.uk written by Peter Stevens.

Volume 2 The Shapeshifter Chronicles

Acknowledgements

Many thanks go to Sian and Maddison for your patience and help with this work, I couldn’t have done it without you guys, all my love xx

Prologue

13:21 Large Hadron Collider, Cern, Switzerland July 10th 2010

Steve Sergeant had been studying the latest batch of readings from ALICE when his cell phone started to ring. As he looked at the digital readout he could see who was calling Amir what’s up I thought you were on your way out of here for the day?

Turn on camera fourteen, the one we used to film Thumper.

Camera fourteen why is there something going on at the field tube? Steve asked looking at the monitors in the next room.

You’re not going to believe it Steve, just turn to that camera and you’ll see what I mean, Amir said excitedly, Thumper is back.

Whoa, what do you mean back? Steve sat up straight, stood, then went quickly over to the monitors in the security office and looked at camera fourteen as Amir explained.

I was leaving for the day and as I got to my bike I saw a flash and heard thunder, loud, to my right so I went to look. There was a wormhole there that I glimpsed briefly before it collapsed above the tube we used for the rabbit, do you see him?

Yes, stay there and keep an eye on him, we’re getting a containment team over right now. Steve hung up his cell and dialled the fire teams on the landline, two minutes later and eight men in bio-suits approached the tube which contained the dimension travelling rabbit. One of the men brought out the step ladders Amir had used to put thumper into the tube and another man held a round clear lid for the tube itself. He then used the same ladders to climb up and secure the lid in place then moved a lever on the side of the lid which opened holes on the top to let Thumper breathe.

After lifting off the top two foot section of tube and carrying it back to the main lab complex the men in bio-suits took the animal to a lab and gently placed the section of tube, complete with rabbit inside, onto the desk. As they removed their hoods Amir followed them in with half a dozen other people, including Steve, as they all gathered to inspect their old mascot who’d been gone for almost eight months now. Steve looked at the animal in awe that he’d lived in another dimension, on another world he’s got no backpack, didn’t we place him in the tube carrying some things in a backpack? he said quietly to himself.

Amir clicked his fingers yes we did, shall we get him out of there, he reached forward and was about to undo the latch holding the lid on when Steve said sharply.

No, whatever you do don’t open it in here.

Amir pulled his hand back quickly and frowned why not?

Steve shook his head we don’t know anything about this animal, he said looking around at everyone look at what happened to Clarke when he got partially sucked in, Thumper has been gone for over seven months now, this might not even be our rabbit any more.

Everyone in the room moved back a little as Steve sent a young scientist to the kitchen to get some carrots or something for the rabbit to eat Claude, Steve said to one of the Bio-suited men I want you to get a room ready, a secure room like a cell, with camera feeds. Leave any furniture in there move it aside and get a large cage, put food and water in there for him, some towels, straw, anything he can use to make a bed, we need to watch and record for a while, leaning on the desk to look at the former mascot Steve added we need to watch you and learn about you now buddy.

I’ll get right on it boss, Claude said as he left the room.

Amir copied Steve and leant forward to study Thumper, he looked and acted like a rabbit and twitched his nose as he smelled the air, surely this was their rabbit What do you think happened to it while he was gone? asked Amir still not quite believing that this might not be their Thumper.

I don’t know really, it might just be our rabbit and nothing else but it’s been gone a long time and in that time whoever is on the other side of that wormhole could have altered it, somehow, like Clarke got changed, it could even be one of them come here to watch us so let’s be nice.

Just then the young scientist returned with a bowl of carrots, lettuce, two sausages and someone’s cold leftover chips Is this enough? he asked passing the bowl to Steve.

The carrots and lettuce are great, the chips he may eat, but rabbits don’t eat meat, period, they are one of the worlds true vegetarians, said Amir.

Steve took a carrot from the bowl and pushed it into a hole in the lid of the tube thumper looked up, sniffed the air, then turned away. Moving the carrot to another hole in the lid Steve dropped the treat in but again the animal took no notice so he tried a bit of lettuce but got the same result.

Maybe a chip then, Amir said reaching for the food.

Not hungry then eh Thumper? said Steve or would you prefer a sausage? he snapped his fingers and said if he’s been there seven months, or it is an alien, one of them even, what has he been eating? as he picked up one of the cold sausages and held it in the hole he’d held the carrot into.

Thumper sniffed then looked up and sniffed again before he sat down on its back legs and reached up with its front legs. Its shape blurring as it’s small arms stretched and growing as its paws became small hands, one thumb and three fingers all ending with sharp claws. As it took the sausage its mouth changed and grew sharp teeth, no longer a rabbit the creature now looked like it had a monkey’s body with a fox’s head and a short snout. All of the former rabbit’s fur had shrunk back into its body as it shifted leaving the creature with a leathery looking dark green mottled skin. True vegetarian eh? It still eats just like a rabbit though, said Amir as the creature nibbled at the sausage.

Steve nodded we’ve got just five days till the NASA people get here, let’s keep this quiet from them, yes.

Everyone in the room nodded and Steve looked back at the animal once called Thumper nearly finished your sausage eh? he asked leaning forward. The creature looked up at him and sniffed the air, barked once then turned back to finish its meal. Steve jumped and smiled as he turned to the others we’re going to need some DNA samples so we’d better knock him out. Pointing to two men he said you two go sort out tranquiliser, containers, and operating tools, you three scrub up that area and yourselves. The rest of you get lights and cameras I want this lab prepped and ready in half an hour, all the usual precautions people.

As most of the group left the room Amir tapped Steve on the shoulder then indicated the creature in the cage he’s watching and listening I’m sure of it, Amir said as the other three scientists cleared and cleaned a bench next to the door.

Nodding Steve picked up the other sausage and dropped it in the cage, as it fell the monkey/fox reached out with lightning speed and caught it as he stared back at Steve through the glass. If only you could understand us and talk back, what a story you’d have to tell eh Thumper?

Thumper bared its teeth as if smiling and barked again before looking at the sausage; it sniffed it then placed it gently on the untouched lettuce leaf. Thumper then shifted his weight and unfolded his growing back legs. As Steve watched fascinated the former rabbit altered its shape to look like a tiny clone of him sitting there, albeit naked and sexless can you understand us? Steve asked again.

Steve look behind him what he’s sitting on Said Amir as the first of the scientists, still wearing the bio suits, came back with two digital video cameras, two tripods and sets of lights.

Set them up over there, Steve said to the men then looked behind Thumper/mini-Steve to see what it was that Amir saw. Something black and definitely artificial is that what I think it is?

Two more of the scientists came back into the room with the tranquiliser, sterilised scalpels, airtight containers and test tubes Well it looked like his backpack to me, said Amir.

Yeah that’s what I thought it was as well, Steve watched the other busy men around him for a second then said do think we ought to get Clarke in here?

Amir nodded, said he’d bring him over here, and went over to the telephone. After ten minutes everything was ready for its newest experiment and three of the bio-suited scientists carried the two foot section of tube over to the prepped area. Everyone commented on the new mini-me of Steve’s that sat in the tube watching them as it watched Steve’s every move.

He seems to like you Steve, said Liz Kramer as she watched the clone in the tube.

Liz, Steve said as he stood straight and turned around I thought you weren’t coming back until Monday.

Liz smiled, twenty five years old and out of university straight into the LHC team, she’d been with them just over a year and was one of the witnesses to the wormhole openings when they first went live. Steve thought that she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. I was bored and only come in today because I didn’t want to sit at home doing nothing, she smiled at Steve and look what I find you all doing, playing with a, a, what is that thing in the tube it looks like you?

Smiling back at the young woman Steve indicated the clone and asked don’t you remember Thumper, our mascot?

Liz’s eyes widened no, really? When did he get back? as she said as she leaned towards the tube to look closely at the creature that looked like Steve, she watched it shifted its shape again to look like the rabbit they’d last seen in the same tube eight months ago.

Almost half an hour now, I spotted his arrival as I was leaving for the day, said Amir that reminds me, I have to make a call.

As the young man walked out of the room Steve turned back to Liz we’re going to sedate him and collect DNA through blood and tissue samples, do you want to assist?

Thumper banged the side of the tube and stood up on his back legs as it shifted to look like Liz, it reached up to one of the air holes in the top and stretched its arm until its fingers poked through the hole. Stretching a finger over the top of the lid then it split the finger off from its hand and like a salamander re grew it as it sat down and shifted to become the rabbit again.

Using forceps Steve gently picked up the small finger and placed it in a test tube I guess that means you understand us yes? Steve asked Thumper directly.

The creature barked once then shifted again, loosing its fur as its body, arms, and legs grew and became humanoid. Its dark eyes forming human pupils in the brightest blue as it became a foot tall, completely hairless, sexless human image with Liz’s face.

Liz and Steve looked at each other and Liz said once for yes twice for no eh? as Amir and Clarke entered the room.

Clarke said you wanted to see me Steve? before he spotted the tube and creature inside it what is that?

Don’t you remember Thumper, he came back but he’s like you now. Steve said.

Clarke looked closely at the tube with Thumper inside and they both stared at each other silently for a few minutes. Then the smaller version of Liz reached up to the hole it poked its finger out a few minutes ago stretched again before poking his long finger out once again. Clarke reached over and touched Thumper’s finger and instantly understood where he had been the last eight months. Three minutes they locked fingers until the let go then Clarke thought about what he’d seen in Thumpers mind and finally said It’s Thumper alright, he’s not very happy with you, pointing to Amir for sending him there but he’s back to ask us not to open any more wormholes, period!

We’ve been given new orders, more Thralaxium, and there is a team of NASA scientists, and soldiers, arriving in five days to begin new wormhole testing.

Liz had been watching Thumper as the men talked then she looked up at Clarke why can’t we open wormholes, what are they doing?

Clarke sighed and looked at Thumper this was our rabbit, but now it is our rabbit mixed with one of those creatures on the other side of the vortex, just as I am me mixed with one of those creatures. The images from Thumpers touch were intense and a bit muddled but I got the impression that they live in a kind of energy dimension or realm, not on a planet like us. Our wormholes are punching through into their existence and sucking them here where they mix with our electrical impulses and DNA, everyone that has been affected around the world is now a human-alien mix and as they are pure energy we now have the ability to change our shape.

Clarke reached over to the tube and pushed his fingers into the air holes stretching them to reach down to the former rabbit. Thumper reached up also stretching his arm and fingers to meet Clarke’s stringy long fingers and as they touched they wrapped around each other like vines around a tree. Clarke closed his eyes and said "they call themselves the family I think it is, or looks like, they don’t use words just images or thoughts, their realm isn’t huge like our world. They do not use any kind of technology or weapons and, like us, they thought that they were alone in the universe as a species. His eyes flicking back and forth underneath his eyelids as he watched and narrated the memories he got from Thumper. Naturally telepathic to extreme distances and made of DNA like us but their universe is constantly shifting energy so their molecules are constantly moving, generating a kind of friction that attracts to us and electricity."

Friction that attracts electricity, I don’t understand that? Amir asked.

Liz sighed you know when you’re at a fair and they have that gadget that makes your hair stand up, or better still you know when you’re caught in a thunder storm that you are told to lie down if you feel your hair stand up?

Amir smiled and nodded remembering something about it and smiling sheepishly as Clarke opened his eyes and said yes that’s it, your hair stands up because it generates an energy that reaches out above us to attract electricity, or lightning, but trees, buildings, everything does it not just us. Thumper there is saying that when we collide those particles here, their universe opens up like they are inside a balloon, only the balloon doesn’t pop, they get sucked out the instant it opens, our energies respond and they are transferred through the lightning to merge into our body’s energy pattern, I need electricity as a food supply don’t forget, they live in a dynamic, electric universe that’s constantly changing and they have to change with it.

That’s horrible, we have to stop. Liz said looking sadly at Thumper in the tube as he shifted back to being their rabbit.

Steve looked at Clarke and frowned see, here’s the thing, we’re not running things at the moment, we are just here to see that it gets done right.

What do you mean we’re not running things? Asked Clarke as he untangled his fingers before lifting out of the tube, Steve watched fascinated as his hand shrank back down he returned to its normal shape.

Steve looked around at everyone and shrugged his shoulders You remember Dr Kelso from the conference calls? He is coming here on Friday to begin the first in a series of tests for wormhole manipulation and he is bringing a squad of Special Forces guys and volunteers to be changed in these vortexes. I think he wants to change his men into some kind of super soldiers but god only knows why.

Amir snapped his fingers I’ve got it, Clarke can Thumper understand you when you get his memories?

He does but he understands us now anyway so if you want something just ask him.

Amir looked over to the tube, can we open this and let him out now? he asked Steve who nodded. Amir unsnapped the locks on the lid and lifted it off to let Thumper free. As he laid the lid on the desk he said I’m sorry I put you into the tube Thumper, we didn’t know. If soldiers are coming here then I need you to pretend to be operated on and examined by us for the camera, he looked up at Steve before adding after we have filmed him we can say that he woke up and ran amok destroying some of the equipment, here and in the tunnel. I know it could be fixed but that could also be delayed and he is the key, would you do that Thumper?

Thumper sniffed the air and looked around at the people before it lifted up on its back legs and grew to a three feet tall roughly humanoid shape with pale leathery skin before stepping over the tube and sitting on the edge of the desk. He looked up at Amir and nodded offering his tiny three fingered hand to shake, as the man shook Thumpers hand he shifted again to look like a completely naked Amir who nodded slowly and looked around the room at everyone there and said ‘eye ilp."

A few people gasped at the sound of their former mascot speaking to them and Steve exchanged a look and smile with Liz before saying to me it sounded like he said ‘I’ll help, Thumper barked once and Steve said ok so he wants to help us, the Americans also want us to hand you two over to them for testing Clarke but I think that under the circumstances you should take Thumper away from here after we’ve made this film. On your way out I want you to destroy or damage what you can and then get yourselves somewhere safe. Don’t tell anyone where you are going either and don’t worry about us, we’ll show them the movies we’re going to make and your escape, oh, and on the way out cause as much damage as you can and leave trace DNA there for their scientists to study.

Clarke smiled and nodded you said that twice, then everyone in the room prepared the area to make their film. When they were done Clarke and Thumper said goodbye to everyone and left.

Steve glanced at his watch and said we give them twenty five minutes to wreak havoc before we sound the alarm, looking at his watch again they all waited mostly in silence as some of them packed away the samples both Clarke and Thumper had given them. Steve checked his watch again as they locked the cameras they made the film on and placed them into small lockable boxes then he looked up and nodded once to Liz. She nodded, got up and activated the alarm that would evacuate the entire complex come on then people we do like everyone else and get out of here.

Steve and Liz were the last to leave the room and Liz asked you think they’ll believe us?

Smiling Steve held up the film box and said that escape looked pretty convincing on here, don’t worry Liz only a few of us know the truth and we won’t say anything.

Chapter 1

15:21 10th July 2010 Walnut Park Los Angeles

I saw a blur and felt a rush of air as something whizzed past my face. Spinning around I saw two men on the street corner thirty yards away reloading their tranquiliser guns again before they looked up at us. Laeeq fell forward unconscious and I changed my shape to the stone man and walked towards the soldiers with guns, Giles Richards again.

They both fired again but both of their darts bounced off of my rock like body as I marched towards them. The man on the left was rapidly trying to re-load his weapon and I batted him away like a fly, I looked to Richards as his colleague flew backwards through a boarded up shop window.

Giles sneered at me a second before I grabbed him by his throat. Lifting him up as I shifted into a seven foot tall Minotaur from Greek legend, with a Bulls head and human body. I instantly knew from his mind how he tracked me so I tossed him back and to the right, as he flew back I stepped towards him and he banged his head onto the boarded up front door to the same shop his unlucky colleague went through. As he collapsed unconscious I took his radio and gun before going back across the road to my friend.

Laeeq had one dart sticking out of his left shoulder so I pulled it out and threw it back at Giles before effortlessly throwing my friend over my shoulder and heading south; chased by flashes and cheers as more than a dozen people took their photographs or videos on their cell phones.

We’re going to be on the news and you tube before the days out matey, I said as I ran two blocks south then turned west. I knew roughly where I was and where I needed to go but I needed Laeeq conscious and able to fight with me if needed, I suspected that there would be more of them coming.

I could see the train tracks as I ran into Alameda Street and headed for the live rail with Laeeq on my shoulders, I’d love to know what people thought when they saw a seven foot tall Minotaur carrying a man across town, imagine what they’d say now I thought as I stepped onto the live rail and sucked up the charge. I could see some people that had followed me filming with their cell phones and hoping to make an easy buck, good luck to them I thought. After five minutes of charge I could feel Laeeq stirring and stood him on his feet but still holding his arm as he opened his eyes.

What, what happened? he asked reaching up to his head.

The headaches a bitch, right? I asked.

Laeeq nodded and said I remember getting punched in the shoulder, seeing two of those soldiers and then this headache.

Yeah I took care of Richards and his friend but they can track us so we’d better keep moving I said as I shifted to look like me.

I saw it in your mind as I woke up, is that like our aura they use to track us?

I nodded as we turned away from the train lines and headed alongside them and out of town I’m not sure, apparently everything sends these waves up during a storm but as we are more electrically charged than most we send out this signal all of the time, they can detect it from their satellites using modified thermal imaging.

Can we conceal it anyway? he asked.

I hope so I did read somewhere once that the military was making their clothes with aluminium foil in the weave to stop the heat signature of their bodies. That’s got to be worth a try but in this heat we’d bake so I say we split up and meet at the Holy Cross Hospital, Austin, in two days. Get there anyway you can but if we can meet as people we know, I’ll look like this, I shifted to look like Glen Williams the BNP guy I became before coming to America and shook hands with Laeeq so he’d know him as well.

Okay I’ll look like the good Dr Kelso, but with hair, he shifted to look like the NASA scientist except he had a full head of curly black hair, or Ezra, we’ll meet in the MRI scanner reception at noon two days from now Laeeq said now seeming to feel a lot better as his dose of horse tranquiliser wore off completely.

We walked along the train tracks and I heard what sounded like an army radio squelch off