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The Island of Golden Zandolie 4. The Blue Blood
Лилия Кадет
Остров Золотого Зандоли #4
After incredible adventures in the Caribbean with aliens, mutants and reptilians, our heroes return home – to Paris, London, the various cities of Russia. But the call of the “blue blood” brings them back together again. Who is the real alien? This is the fourth book of “The Island of Golden Zandolie” series.
All illustrations done by the author.
Lilia Cadette
The Island of Golden Zandolie 4
The Blue Blood
Chapter 1
The ghost of Golden Zandolie. The black giant
In the very center of Paris, in the legendary Latin Quarter, two young men were sitting on the roof of a mansard, half-hidden by the illusive cover of a summer city night.
The eldest of them was about thirty-five years old, with a shock of unruly chestnut curls falling chaotically over his face and shoulders. Short and wiry, with a broken nose of a boxer, he was not quite handsome.
The second young man was just beautiful. As if the live statue “David” of Michelangelo, he was distinguished with the classic perfection of his facial features and proportions of his figure. An avant-garde haircut slanted on one side and an earring in the ear added the famous bohemian flair to the young man.
At the moment, the handsome young man looked angry. Huge brown eyes with long eyelashes threw lightning bolts. He even jumped out of his chair and loomed over his older companion.
“Jean-Paul! After all the troubles in the press, dismissal from your job, complete discrediting in the scientific world, do you still dream of returning to this, how to call it,… the Island of Golden Zandolie? And why do you even call it that? There is no such place on the map!”
“Well, listen, my dear Luca! This is my last, my only chance! I've read my own notes a hundred times! Although I don't remember much, I couldn't just make it all up! And my lab assistant, Josie-Anne! These are her test tubes with blue blood!”
“Yes! Poor Josie-Anne! I hope you don’t disturb her anymore! Let her live out her life in peace in her native Brittany! She doesn't talk to you anymore, does she?”
“Unfortunately! We worked together for so many years, so many times we traveled around the world on various anthropological expeditions! She certainly did not forgive me such a shame! Hybrid Forms of Alien Descendants! Nobody believed us, even with real specimens of hybridomorph blue blood!”
“So, what are you hoping to find on this distant island now? Aliens and their hybrids? Not a single self-respecting scientific organization will invest in such an adventure! Everyone is avoiding you like a pariah!… Except me, of course! Darling, I'm always with you, you know, that's why I don't want you to fall into this foolishness again!”
“My dear Luca, I love you too! If not for you… But this is my last chance! I am an anthropologist! Even more! Astro-anthropologist! I want and will study hybrid forms of aliens!”
“I love you more, my Quasimodo!”
Both lovers burst out laughing and, embracing, disappeared into the mansard.
A huge gray cat looked after them with displeasure from behind the shadow of a flowerpot. The cat jumped onto the chair where the unpresentable Jean-Paul, his beloved owner and brother, was just sitting. The chair was still warm.
The cat's name was Captain Nemo. He always accompanied his master on all expeditions. Not like this sugary Luca, who has never been anywhere but his Paris!
Nemo's cat did not like Luca – he was wearing too many smelly perfume and scolding Nemo if he sometimes rummaged in his favorite flowers, which were already too many on the roof. Can't you dig a little in the flowerpots once in a while? And Jean-Paul allowed his beloved cat everything! And he was too kind to that lazy butt Luca!
The next morning Jean-Paul and Luca were busy in the kitchen, having breakfast and sharing their plans for the day.
Jean-Paul was in no hurry. He was fired and suspended from lectures at the Sorbonne, and he could not find work anywhere else. The ill fame of the professor-adventurer quickly scattered in so huge and at the same time so small scientific world.
The anthropologist was now at home all day, engrossed in scientific correspondence and online news. He vainly clung to any thread, sent requests to colleagues, scoured the Internet in search of any strange news and even scandals. But it was all in vain – his friends and colleagues did not know anything, did not remember or simply did not answer him…
Luca worked in a modeling agency. A former art history student, he was now at the height of his fame in the high-fashion fast-paced business, often appearing in photo shoots and video advertisements.
Always smiling and easy-going, today the handsome young man was clearly out of sorts. He brought a thick fashion catalog magazine and tossed it right in front of Jean-Paul's coffee cup.
“Look, my dear, what a freak on the cover! We have a new star! From somewhere in the territories! Brutal beauty with dreadlocks! Well, of course he has a figure – so hot! But what a fierce muzzle!”
Jean-Paul was drinking his coffee, deep in thought. From time to time, he was scanning the news in his laptop, and at first, he simply looked at Luca with his piercing blue eyes, framed by thick eyelashes, just blankly.
“I'm sorry, what?”
“Look at the cover! I should have been there! They changed everything at the last moment for the sake of this black giant!”
Jean-Paul looked down at the magazine that Luca had thrown. However, the impression of the glossy cover was completely unpredictable. Jean-Paul shuddered and jumped up as if electrocuted.
“Jean-Paul! What's the matter!?!”
“It can't be! This is impossible!… This is… Hord!… I remember now! My own records were just random pieces of strange puzzles even I could not comprehend! Now I can connect it all!…Ray! Marley! Hybridomorphs! Hord! Yes! Hord, the black mutant!”
“Do you remember everything? How? Does this black man with dreadlocks look like mutants from the Caribbean? By the way, he is also from somewhere there, from the territories… There are many Rasta men…”
“Luca! HE IS FROM THERE? What's his name?”
“Maximilian seems to be… Max…”
“He is unsociable, barely speaks and avoids people?”
“Well, no! Quite opposite! Pure darling! Even too sweet! You know, such dimples when he smiles! He is catching everything on the go! Indeed, he's good at work, too good! They just kicked me out with my photos, as if there was no contract…”
“Luca, I have to see him!”
“What for!?!”
“I think… this is just a hypothesis… I need to take another look at all of my records… but I'm pretty sure – this is the last mutant of the Island of Golden Zandolie.”
“Jean-Paul, are you really saying that Max is half-human-half-alien?!? OOO! Well then, I don't stand a chance, I need to leave the modeling business! Does he know himself that he is a “man from the star”?”
“That's why I need to meet with him, my dear Luca! This is important for both of us! Our future depends on this man… or whoever he is!”
Luca nodded and threw himself into Jean-Paul's arms. Both were crying. Is it finally time for answers to all questions, after long, painful months of Jean-Paul's isolation, shame, doubts about everything!?
Will Luca save the good name of the French scientist for Jean-Paul, and will he himself and his career in the modeling business be saved as well?
Reputation – it could be built by years of hard work and be destroyed overnight! By a revealing article in the business press… or by a single photograph in a glossy magazine…
Chapter 2
Jolly Roger vs. Big Eyes’ Dragon
A distant, mountainous island lost in the Atlantic has become a second home for a former Dutch baker named Roger… and a real pirate den.
This place was nicknamed the Island of Golden Zandolie among various adventurers, rogues, smugglers and other random rabble. And this place was the last in the Caribbean, where real Indians still lived from time immemorial.
Some years ago, the long string of tragic events started with a sudden appearance on the island and then death of the alien Golden Zandolie and his brethren.
Then, for a very short time, the Island was ruled by his children, giant and sterile mutants, who scared away the entire local (human) population – everyone except the Indians and pirates.
And now on the Island there has come a time of anarchy, without any government, electricity, transport or communications. At one end of the islet was Jolly Roger Cove – home to the modern pirates of the Caribbean, and at the other end was an Indian reservation led by its chief, Dominic.
People, who left the island in horror and haste, did not even want to remember their past life in this deceptive tropical paradise.
It seemed as if the whole world had forgotten about the very existence of an entire state, albeit a small one. No one was in a hurry to help, although the territory of the Island of Golden Zandolie could now easily be called a zone of humanitarian crisis.
It played into the hands of Roger and his pirate friends. A tropical island with many secret bays and outlawed was an excellent transshipment point for all “gifts of the sea”.
What about the Indians? What was it like for them, who grew up on many modern benefits of civilization (light, communications, the Internet), to be completely cut off from the outside world?
Even before that, the Indians were avoiding any contacts with the rest of the island's population. They were living very simply and separately, on the most inaccessible coast. They even had to fish, lowering the boats along the ropes from the high rocky shore.
And now the Indians could freely settle all over the Island. However, for some reason they were in no hurry to do this…
There was one more power on the Island – the Big Eyes’ Dragon, that is, aliens. UFOs continued to fly everywhere, often emerging unexpectedly right from the depths of the sea.
It seemed that the Island of Golden Zandolie was a heavenly place full of pristine beauty and tranquility, where there was enough room for everyone, be it pirates, Indians or even aliens…
Roger, the ever-cheerful Dutchman of about sixty-five, short and bald, with round glasses on a red nose, was sitting on the seashore on the terrace of the garden of his “Jolly Roger” tourist complex with an uncorked bottle of beer and pondering.
Things were going well as never before! From a simple, humble keeper of pirate booty and restaurateur, Roger has become the “chief pirate”, the brain center of all operations in the region. His authority has grown just fabulously! Pirates and smugglers of all stripes sought advice and conflict resolution, trusting him with their goods and their secrets.
However, Roger has never been so lonely! Many of his friends – Scott, Julia, Denis, Zina and others – had left the island.
His beloved nephew Jean-Paul had gone as well.
It was painful to remember about Jean Paul… That time Roger got simply scared. He knew about the Paris scandal. He knew that his nephew had lost his memory and could not clearly explain his findings and discoveries of hybrid life on the Island. But Roger did not come to his aid. After all, then his BUSINESS would suffer! The pirates would never forgive him for that. The island did not need any glory, except for bad one!
When Jean-Paul was visiting his uncle on the Island, Roger was reluctant to share with him any information about local aliens and mutants. First, he himself has never seen a single UFO. Secondly, he had a premonition that it would all end badly! It was easier not to notice anything…
Eventually Jean-Paul stopped calling him. Roger was left all alone with his pirates…
Woof!…Oh yeah! Not quite alone! Next to Roger sat his devoted German Shepherd Dushka! Which, for sure, also missed all the friends and nephew of the old red-nosed Dutchman Roger…
Suddenly a dusty SUV appeared in the parking lot of the complex. Who could it be and where did he get the gasoline? But yes, a handful of castaway marauders could still remain somewhere on the island.
Roger reached for a gun in a drawer under the bar. Oh, troubled times, there were only bandits everywhere!
But no, this was Dominic, the former Indian consul and the current chief of all Indians! He probably imagined himself the owner of the Island – how important he has become, how fat!
“Hello, Dominic, Big Hog!”
“And hello to you too, Roger, Red Nose!”
“Pour you a glass of fire-water?”
“No, I came on business! I want to remind you and warn you… The Big Eyes’ Dragon is our patron from time immemorial! The aliens are on our side! Now the great moment has finally arrived – the whole Island is ours again!”
“Not quite yours! I'm here!”
“Till I allow you to! There are thousands of us and plus aliens!”
Roger calmly pulled out his gun and placed it on the table in front of him, still sipping his beer. There was an uneasy silence. Dominic's olive eyes threw lightning, even his long braid of black wavy hair trembled at the end from the hot wave of anger that swept the Indian chief from head to toe.
Dominic knew he has to say something in return. He was infuriated by the calm look of Roger, the sneer in his malicious look over his round glasses. The Dutchman was a short old man, and the Indian was completely square, as if hewn out of stone by a man of about forty! Dominic could probably have destroyed Roger on the spot, despite his gun and his dog!
At this very moment, the shepherd dog Dushka growled warningly, as if reading the thoughts of the chief.
“Okay, Roger, here we are! Live, as long as you don’t bother us. But it would be better if you closed your business and drove back to your Europe!”
Dominic turned around, got into the car and drove away quickly, kicking up clouds of dust.
What kind of people?! Not so long ago, the late mutant Ray, the leader of the rebels, was shouting “my Island!” and sending lightning with a glance. And now this chief of the Redskins!
How Roger lacks normal human communication, with Jean-Paul, with Scott, with others… Oh…
Roger threw out his empty beer bottle and poured himself some rum. He loved “Absolut”, but now it was difficult to get, like any other fuel…
He pulled out a satellite phone from the safe and looked around. There was no connection on the island for a long time. This device was secretly sold to him by one of the hastily leaving telecoms specialists – the company's emergency phone in case of hurricanes.
Thank goodness, Roger managed to keep the phone secret from the pirates and sometimes charge it on the sly at night. This was his last link with the outside world.
At first, he decided that he didn’t need anyone, that he was a god and a king on the island… The pirates praised him and trusted him the lion's share of the loot – how not to go slightly mad after all… Especially, when not much left of your brain after years of drinking…
That what Roger was pondering about, when he finally decided to call his nephew… How shameful!… Maybe, really, give up everything and go home to Holland? How much does he need, the old man?
Roger dialed a familiar Parisian number, smiled, and immediately switched from English to French in conversation.
“Jean-Paul! Salut! Ça va?”
“Uncle! Where are you calling from! Doesn’t matter! How on time! I recalled everything! All our adventures on the island, all our amazing discoveries! Mutants, aliens, all!! And most importantly, tomorrow I will meet with a real, live hybridomorph, that is, a mutant, right here in Paris! O! Uncle! Forgive me, I've been terrible lately! I was thinking only about my lost discoveries and ruined reputation!”
“It is wonderful that everything is working out for you, my boy! But wait! You said you met a real mutant in Paris? How did you find him? As far as I remember, all the mutants are now under water, by the reptilians!”
“No, uncle, I have not met the mutant yet, but I will meet tomorrow, I am sure that he is real!… Wait a minute! You said, “all mutants are now under water, by the reptilians!” Do you know something? Wait! You knew?! You knew something and hid it from me?!”
“Jean-Paul!”
“I was asking you questions! I was trying to remember! You assured me that you do not know anything that could help me… Why!?!?!”
“Because! Every time it comes to aliens and mutants, the world is ending! Finally, our business has blossomed like never before! Finally, peace and quiet! I fled from noisy Europe to retire in a tropical paradise! Dominic showed up today and declared war on me! What an impudent man! You see, the Big Eyes’ Dragon is on their side! Like these wild Indians are strongly needed by advanced reptilians, who are equally dexterous in flying and swimming in their UFOs!”
“Uncle, what are you talking about!!?!”
“So, you did not recall everything, it turns out! My dear boy! Okay, listen! Perhaps this is important for you… I am guilty before you, I confess… We have a whole underwater city of reptilians here. All the mutants, who were of already dying species, fled there!
“So, mutants, perhaps, are still alive, underwater? And there are aliens?”
“Not aliens, but reptilians – the real earthlings!”
“Where did you get all this?”
“All of you were discussing all of this right here, with me, when you were going to have dinner at the big table, and more than once!”
“Uncle! Wait! Real earthlings! I am hearing this for the first time! Or have I really not recalled everything!? I must return to the Island! And you will really help me this time! After all, last time I had a vacation by you for almost a month and did not know anything about aliens and mutants! Then I found out everything quite by accident, just before leaving for Paris! You knew everything! And remained silent!”
“Jean-Paul! Enough! I personally have not seen anything extraordinary on the Island! And I didn't want to feed you, a real scientist, with tales! But if this is important to you, then come. I will tell you all the legends, gossip, rumors, beliefs that I have heard over all years of my life here! About flying witches “soucouyant”, about people turning into birds and lizards, about black magic, dragons, a Great Serpent, a golden boiling lake under the ground and other nonsense!”
“There is gold on the island!?”
“Yes! Yes! And mutants have been mining gold for a long time – first for the alien Golden Zandolie, then for the Russian businessman from London, and now, probably, for the reptilians, if they’re still alive!!!”
“Uncle, sorry, but are you drunk?”
“Drunk! But not mad as yet! If you want the whole truth, so come on, fly in! Just remember. The Island of Golden Zandolie will eat you up. The Serpent and the Dragon guard their secrets well! It's better not to ask questions here!”
“Sorry, uncle, we'd better talk at another time! I was glad to hear your voice. Hope to see you soon! Say hi to my beloved dog Dushka!”
Sheepdog immediately barked, apparently hearing her nickname. Roger looked reproachfully at Dushka, gulped down the bottle of rum and went to bed.
How tired he had become, of everything!
The most remote and calm island in the world turned out to be the cosmodrome of all possible UFOs and the homeland of a variety of mutants with superpowers and even reptilians – the real earthlings!
Chapter 3
Zina the hybridomorph and a random snapshot of an alien
Zina was walking in the forest and picking strawberries for a long time. The day was just magical, sunny and breezy. It was very quiet in the forest, only the birds rarely exchanged short trills, sometimes the sound of a woodpecker or a slight rustle of foliage was heard.
Predators such as foxes and wolves were sometimes found here. There was talk about bears, but Zina did not believe the rumors and was never afraid to wander through the forest alone. Zina was very tall and strong, and she did not go out into the forest without a gun. From the back, she could easily be mistaken for a hunter due to her large size, simple coarse clothing such as jeans and a windbreaker, and heavy shotgun in a case. But Zina would never have thought about shooting animals. In a deep forest, people were much more dangerous.
Today Zina took only a basket for strawberries. The shotgun would have interfered with the picking of the berries. The jam will turn out to be bliss! Zina loved this time very much, when small bright red berries seemed to be playing hide and seek! They seem to be nowhere to be found, but just look under the leaf, and there is a whole clearing of berries!
But not only Zina loved strawberries. A huge old bear was also enjoying life very close to her, savoring sweet and aromatic berries. Probably, the heady pacification of a sunny day in a dense forest dulled the instincts of both – Zina and the bear suddenly collided nose to nose!
Well, not really, of course! They noticed each other, coming out simultaneously from opposite sides into a small, sunlit clearing. Perhaps Zina was walking against the wind, and the clubfoot giant did not catch her smell in time. The bear immediately got up on its hind legs and growled deafeningly.
This was the first meeting with a bear in the forest in Zina's entire life. The shotgun, as luck would have it, was not there. Only one basket full of strawberries! What a pity! Still, she could never have killed the forest giant!
Suddenly, a scene from the recent past flashed in Zina's mind. A huge mutant Ray was towering in front of her, flashing blue lightning. His dreadlocks were stirring like snakes from the electrical discharges of the enraged giant. Ray was so angry that he even levitated slightly above the ground! He looked straight into Zina's eyes, sending his deadly blue rays to her. And suddenly she just returned his own charge with her eyes… and killed him.
Now, looking at the angry bear, Zina mentally sent him a “shot with her eyes” that she was Zina the hybridomorph, and she was not afraid of him, she was smarter and stronger than him!
“GET OUT OF MY FOREST!”
Suddenly, the bear stopped roaring, ran its front paws along the muzzle from eyes to nose several times, shook its head, howled pitifully, then dropped to his four paws and disappeared into the thicket of the forest, loudly breaking branches.
Zina continued to stand motionless alone in the sunlit clearing, her powerful legs spread wide apart, her steep sides propped up with her hands. The basket lay in the tall grass, the bright red strawberries were scattered everywhere like drops of blood…
There was an unprecedented tranquility. Or got Zina just disconnected from everything around her?
Yes, right now she could concentrate only on one thing, what she refused to remember for a long time – that the blue blood of aliens flows in her.
She found out this by accident a couple of months ago, when the Frenchwoman Josie-Anne took blood samples from mutants to prove an alien impurity in their genes, and took of Zina's blood for a test… Just for the purity of the experiment, to show that one and the same red blood in mutants turns into blue under the influence of silver salts, while in humans it remains red.
And Zina's blood, to everyone's amazement, changed color to blue! Zina’s only, of all the people present!
Soon, everyone except Zina lost their memory during the tragic farewell visit of the mutant Ray. And Zina did not help anyone remember anything then!
Zina simply did not know how to live on with this knowledge that she was a hybridomorph. Therefore, she decided not to remind others of her blue blood as well – she hastily left the Island of Golden Zandolie, returning to Russia.
And she didn't just return home then. She went to the very outback, to the abandoned village of her great-grandmother, to live alone and try to understand herself. But instead, she kept walking through the woods, re-reading old books from her childhood and kept driving away any thoughts about aliens, mutants and her friends – Denis, Julia, Scott and others…
How did the life of all these people, once dear to Zina, go on? She cut the connection with everyone. She felt different, new. Life has changed forever. But how exactly, Zina did not yet know herself…
Today's incident with the bear knocked over not only the basket of strawberries, but also the whole temporary inner peace of Zina, which she had been building so carefully for several months! She needed time to think, to learn to live with her new, extraterrestrial talents.
Then on the Island, Zina killed the huge mutant Ray, although she did not want to. Now she stopped the giant bear! This means she can send signals just by a glance.
What else can she do? Levitate like Ray? Throw lightning? To invent unprecedented devices like flying submarines, as Ray did together with Denis and Scott?
Denis assured her that, most likely, Ray had something like the memory of generations, that the knowledge of his late alien father, the Golden Zandolie, was passed on to him. Maybe she, Zina, too received some sacred knowledge from her distant alien ancestors?…
A basket of strawberries remained in the forest. And in a small wooden great-grandmother's house, Zina pulled out her laptop from her backpack, which she had never taken out since she arrived into this long-extinct village… Of course, the laptop could not be turned on. The cell phone was also completely discharged.
Zina seemed to wake up from a deep, lethargic sleep. What was she doing here, without electricity and communication?! Why did she need this stack of children's books with scattering pages? Why does she need these stubs of candles, a smoked stove with a pot, bunches of dried flowers and mushrooms? What did she hope to find here, burying herself alive in the wilderness?
True, Zina has noticeably lost weight. Long walks in the woods and a diet “whatever God has sent”, healthy sleep in the same schedule with the sun and in general “life without the Internet” gave their beneficial results. Zina became healthier, stronger… and even more confident in herself.
Quickly collecting her simple belongings, she went on foot towards the nearest road to catch a bus or a ride to the city.
… Finally, Zina was at home. She carefully stowed the hunting rifle in the safe, hastily pulled out the laptop and put it on the charger. Then she stood in the shower for a very long time!
And then for a while Zina stared at herself in the mirror, which was unusual for her. Too tall for a woman, broad shoulders, large breasts, brown eyes, long very curly dark hair, straight nose, small mouth and high forehead. Not a beauty, of course, but not a freak either!
Zina had a husband quite recently, a programmer, just like her – Denis. But that was already in another life.
Ever since she found out that she has blue blood, Denis and the rest of her friends seemed to have moved to a parallel world for her, lost their significance… Why? Zina had no answer…
Now she was waiting for her laptop to finally work and thinking about her ex-husband and ex-friends. She didn't help them remember everything.
Then on the Island that old pirate Roger remembered everything, but easily agreed with Zina not to remind anyone of anything… She wondered, if he let himself to blab during all this time… and where and how the fates of Denis, Julia, Scott, Olga, Vladimir, Jean-Paul developed…
Jean-Paul! Did he manage to prove the existence of hybridomorphic creatures on the Island of Golden Zandolie? He had his notes, photographs sent by Denis, reagents with blue blood of mutants… and Zina's… Was this enough to make a revolution in anthropology? Did Jean-Paul manage to remember based on all these sources? It was imperative to find out about everything and help him, if possible!
Was Zina under such severe stress that she fell out of real life for such a long period of time? Maybe she felt like a monster after killing of mutant Ray?
…Suddenly, another memory from life on the Island knocked her from her feet. Here she is in the dungeon of Scott's fort house with two machine guns at once, chaotically shooting a huge solid door to the maze of lava tubes and yelling strong obscenities, frightened by the approach of black mutants… Yes, she was very scared then, on the island.
…And here were even more ancient flashes in memory, also creepy ones, when she looked directly into the orange eyes with a vertical pupil – the eyes of the alien, Golden Zandolie…
She didn't lose her memory… that's probably why she almost lost herself!
… Now she managed to rest, improve her health, recover. The laptop finally logged on, updated all apps.
And finally, ZinР°'s mailbox opened up. There were so many letters, but mainly of work correspondence, some orders for new IT projects!
Zina also found some personal letters. And all from Denis, her ex-husband and colleague! It's funny! Ah, well, of course, he sends her the new work…
And here is one letter from Denis, very heavy in weight. Photos? Yes! This one was of Zina sitting at a table in a restaurant on the waterfront “Fort Charles”. She was smiling, in front of her was a tall glass of some kind of cocktail with a straw and a paper umbrella. Behind her ear was a huge red hibiscus flower. Here she looked like a typical young girl in love. Denis photographed her himself. Probably, they did have some kind of love…
But what was it!?!?! In the background of the image, tables with visitors to an open restaurant were not clearly visible. And someone's face, very blurry, only an oblong bald skull in profile with tattoos and abundant piercings sparkling in the sun…
This is Golden Zandolie himself – a legendary alien, who seemed to have died later on in a duel with his brethren-aliens there, on the Island…
Then it seemed, that the end of the world had come, when a hurricane and a volcanic eruption coincided with a UFO invasion. Explosions, earthquakes, clouds of smoke and dust… Huge pieces broke off from the Island and went under water forever… Forest fires, shifting rivers… The Island changed forever… and Golden Zandolie had vanished…
Zina wondered if Denis sent her this picture on purpose. Did he remember the alien who, with the help of piercings and tattoos, tried to impersonate an eccentric earthling? Probably not. There were several more photographs attached in the letter: Zina on a catamaran with her friends, Zina driving her old army jeep, Zina fishing in the mountains…
What was Denis writing about? And here were just a few words, saying, that he found old photos, maybe Zina will be pleased to remember life on a beautiful tropical island… It's a pity, that he himself remembered nothing much… He always dreamed of extraordinary adventures, but it looked like he was met on the Island only work and beautiful landscapes.
Only in dreams does he see UFOs and some kind of aliens. But, of course, nothing like that exist in real life, but he really missed his friends and the sun of the tropical island in his native, small Siberian town…
She needs to tell Denis; she needs to tell him everything! Zina felt very ashamed! She, simply, stole from all her friends the memories of several years of their lives – about the brightest, unprecedented times that one can only dream of… or see in your dreams in bed!
Denis was the most courageous, even insane dreamer and the source of the most “out of this world” hypotheses, who always led them all in search of the truth, and he himself discovered a lot He always dreamed of aliens, and he finally found them!
And she, Zina, stole his discoveries from him… and from everyone else! It seemed to her then, that this was a humane act. They all went through a lot of terrible things together! Zina herself wanted to start life from scratch…
And she gave her friends a second chance too… Did she have the right to decide for them?
She deceived Denis by not reminding him of their marriage.
She did not tell Julia that in the past she wrote great science fiction novels, so that she would not find hints of her past strange adventures in her books…
She did not remind the French anthropologist Jean-Paul of a number of amazing discoveries that he had already made during his short expedition to the Island…
Zina felt very ashamed… and scared… What if these people live in horror that they cannot remember the last few years of their life… maybe they, like Denis, were having nightmares…? She urgently needed to find out what happened to them…
Thank you, clubfoot bear, that you love strawberries as well and woke Zina up with your roar! And you reminded her that she is a hybridomorph! She has many super powers; she must help people!
Zina checked her phone. There were also a lot of missed calls there. And of them there were many from Denis. And one French number!
Zina was overwhelmed by a hot wave of anger at herself. She needs to make some calls! She needs to go urgently! Where to? It doesn't matter, just get out of here! She can't run away from herself! Life is beautiful and amazing!
Suddenly Zina felt the strongest hunger! She hadn’t eaten or drunk normally for so long! But her mind was also hungry. And her heart as well!
Chapter 4
Auntie Clemencia’s visit. Call from Russia
French anthropologist Jean-Paul was very excited. Today he will meet Maximilian – the rising black star of the fashion capital of Paris! Luca promised Jean-Paul to bring his new “best frenemy” over for dinner. There is no friendship in the modeling business.
For Luca, this new Max was stealing his royalties and the light of fame…
For Jean-Paul, today there will be a meeting not with a new fashion star, but with a living carrier of an alien gene!
At first glance, Max was strikingly similar to Hord, a black mutant driver and brother of another mutant, Ray, the leader of the rebels on the Island of Golden Zandolie. But that was just a magazine cover photo.
What could be Max in life? Most likely, he should to be very tall, about two meters, with a powerful build, scaly dreadlocks and almond-shaped, deep-set eyes, an oblong skull… The eyes of all black mutants were too dark to see properly the vertical pupil.
Only mutant Ray and Golden Zandolie himself had that intimidating reptile look – their eyes were huge, light orange!
There was a knock on the door – finally! Jean-Paul rushed to open it. But instead of the black giant Max, a petit woman of about forty stood on the doorstep. She, too, was black, with a whole shock of small dreadlocks. Smiling broadly, she introduced herself.
“I am Clemencia, mother of Maximilian. And you are the famous scientist who really wanted to meet my dear son. Nice to meet you!”
“Nice to meet you too! Please come in!”
Clemencia walked in quickly, never stopped smiling and turning her head in different directions, inspecting the scientist's dwelling. Confused Luca followed her into the apartment. Jean-Paul glanced at him inquiringly, but promptly switched his full attention to the woman, since she kept talking.
“Can I have some water? I know you have a lot of questions. And I came without an invitation. You expected to see my son. He's just beautiful, my boy. Everyone wants to see him! But I am conducting all his preliminary meetings and negotiations. My apologies. But if your offer is interesting for us, you will immediately meet my treasure, my Max!”
Jean-Paul and Luca exchanged glances. Jean-Paul gave water to the woman. Clemencia carefully examined the young men for a while and then decided to continue explaining.
“You were not warned? All my son's calls are answered by me. I make all appointments too. There are reasons for this. But believe me, this will not affect your business in any way! If, of course, you have something to offer!”
Suddenly Jean-Paul got angry. Luca was startled by the ferocious expression on his beloved “Quasimodo's” face. The scientist sat down right opposite the giant's mother and started to speak.
“We have no commercial proposals for your son, madam! But we believe that your son is a mutant and needs to be studied! What were the circumstances of his birth and how old is he really? I understand that he has no father!”
“Mister scientist, I am both father and mother for Max! And that doesn't mean you can threaten me! My son is unique, yes! The rest is not important! He is handsome, strong and intelligent almost like a god! Virgin Mary, forgive me, for all sins! But why did you call him a freak!?”
“I called him a mutant!”
“It’s the same!”
“Oh no! Mutations can be good! The mutants, we met on one Caribbean Island, were smarter and stronger than all people!”
“On one Caribbean Island…”
“Yes, madam, you are also from there, aren't you?”
“It doesn't matter where we are from, we are the same French, like everyone else!”
“Nobody argues with you, dear Clemencia! We will not harm Your wonderful son! Just answer a couple of questions, this is important for all of us! And for him too! This is a matter of life and death, trust me as a scientist!”
“You want to conduct deadly experiments on my son!”
“Oh, no! Don't worry! Quite opposite! We want to help you!”
Clemencia burst into tears suddenly. Luca brought her another glass of water.
Jean-Paul rushed to the woman, gently hugged her, looked into her eyes with his shining blue eyes and spoke softly.
“Forgive me, for God's sake, that I frightened you! But the matter is really important and urgent. Your son is only a couple of years old, although he looks ten times his age, right?”
Clemencia stopped crying in surprise and only nodded in the affirmative, unable to find words. Jean-Paul continued the interrogation.
“He was born much later than your very last contact with a man, and you could not understand how and where he came from? Consider it a gift from God, right?”
Clemencia nodded in response again, although tears flowed again. The scientist was pushing to the end.
“He doesn't have real dreadlocks like yours. Does he have scaly hairs and a mesmerizing look?… He is very smart and learned to read himself?… You moved to France, because nobody here knows you and there was no need to explain to anyone, why your son grew up so quickly?… And here you are still afraid, that your secret will be revealed, that your son will be considered a freak. And he is almost like a god! You probably “lost” the documents, refiled everything from scratch for him, right? And then such a success in Paris! But are you still scared anyway?”
Clemencia looked at Jean-Paul with wide eyes and continued to nod and cry. Jean-Paul took her hands in his and continued to speak.
“Listen carefully now. Your son is a mutant. His life span is very short. Let me study him, and I will definitely help extend his years…”
Clemencia fainted and slid to the floor. Jean-Paul held her up in time. Luca helped him carry the poor woman to the sofa. The scientist gave her a smell of ammonia and brought her to her senses.
“Clemencia, dear! Let's have dinner together! And you will tell us in detail how your wonderful son grew up!”
At this time, Jean-Paul's cell phone rang. An unfamiliar female voice spoke in English.
“Jean-Paul! This is Zina, a Russian programmer from the Island of Golden Zandolie. Remember me, huh? So, I am a hybridomorph. I have blue blood. We have to meet.”
This time was the scientist's turn to go into a stupor. He did not find what to answer and almost fainted too. Luca watched with concern as his beloved turned pale and trembled, and then slowly walked out onto the roof of the mansard, continuing to press the phone to his ear.
Clemencia had already recovered a little and stood up. Taking advantage of Jean-Paul's absence, she turned to Luca with a hasty tirade.
“To be honest, I'm not a mother, but Max's aunt. His mother died in childbirth, such a grief. But she swore to me that she did not know the boy's father. I thought she was crazy. It turns out that she did not lie and did not lose her mind. How ashamed I am now… We have been through so much… But I need to go, I have some business to attend. But I will come back, I swear by the torments of Our Lord! I'll come with Max. I don't want him to be harmed. But if he needs help and he’s dying, then yes, we will do everything right! Max is my whole family! For the sake of my boy, I will go to the ends of the world and do whatever is necessary! He is such a nice, trusting, kind boy! I have to go! I'll call you, don't worry.”
Luca didn't know whether to stop the woman. Although he was more concerned about Jean-Paul's condition. As soon as the front door closed, he rushed to the exit to the roof.
Jean-Paul was sitting in a chair near a small round table, where they sometimes drank coffee in the morning, surrounded by flowers and pigeons, or enjoyed the coolness of the night, sipping wine. The moon and stars were almost invisible in Paris – the city of eternal light.
“Darling, did something happen?”
“Oh, it's you, Luca! Today is such an amazing day…”
“What happened, who called?”
“Yes! Imagine, we expected to see one mutant, and I got a call from another one!”
Chapter 5
Julia and Joy. “The Queen of Fiction”
The joy of Julia and Scott knew no bounds. Their daughter was born! And they were both so happy that they could not even remember what names they were choosing while the baby was still in the womb. All that they tirelessly repeated, looking at the newborn, was “What a joy!”
So, the daughter was just named Joy.
Julia's big breasts have become just huge and hard as a stone. It was very painful to feed the baby. Scott was terribly worried at the beginning, but after a couple of days the pain went away. And Julia could spend hours admiring little Joy, who slept happily, well-fed and contented at her mother's breast. Joy, tiny but so demanding and tenacious, helped her mother develop the good flow in her never feeding before breasts and get to the “milky treasures”.
Scott was proud of the very first exploits of his wife and daughter. It seemed to him that he had the best family in the world.
And how good it was to be back in his native England after so many years of wandering. First, there was service in the Air Force with military trips to many “hot zones”, then years of exploring around the seas.
He dropped anchor for a while on a tiny mountainous piece of land in the Caribbean, but over the years he missed home more and more in his homeland.
Life in the tropics was very leisurely and full of cheap booze and affordable women. But there were almost no interesting memories. Except for his beloved wife Julia. Surprisingly, he didn't even remember how they met! Really, alcohol has already clouded his brain! Julia couldn't remember much either!
But it didn't matter anymore! Life in England seemed to sober them both up. Now he and his wife and daughter were settled for peaceful living in the house of Scott's parents, in northern England, by the sea. There is such a refreshing air, such austere beauty! English summer also can please with the brightness of grass meadows. And the sea, of course, which is amazing always and everywhere!
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