MAXIM: A New Type of Human (Oddily Series #2) (14 page)

“Actually, I think I would prefer it that way, but posing as a housekeeper?”

Maxim smiled. “Okay, how about me introducing you as a favorite childhood companion?”

“That’s much better. Thanks.” Willa abruptly turned around to head back to the lab. “You go on ahead without me and I’ll catch up with you later. I need to take care of a few things before I come and stay with you.”

* * * * * *

After carrying Oddily to his room, Maxim laid her on the bed and covered her with a blanket. He curled up next to her and rested his head on her chest to listen to the beat of her heart. Everything was going to turn out okay. Zaylyn was out of his life, Oddily would meet her mother, and then there was Paul. He knew nothing about the guy, except that he was a half breed like them. Why would he risk stepping forward to help him find Oddily? He wondered how his sister was getting along with him.

Nexa, is everything under control?

There was no response, so Maxim tried again.
Nexa, I know you have your hands full with Zaylyn, but please let me know how you’re doing.

Maxim’s request was met with dead silence.

Paul, can you hear me?
He sat up and listened intently as it dawned on him that something might have gone wrong!

Maxim jump to his feet when he overheard Sweeper greet someone downstairs.

“Hello Sweeper.” It was Willa, whose timely return couldn’t have been more perfect.

Maxim came bounding down the stairs. “Will you watch over Oddily until I get back?”

Willa immediately noticed Maxim’s uneasiness. “What about you? By the look on your face, I don’t think you should travel alone.”

“But I must. I’ll be fine.”

“Wow, you sound just like your father…a stubborn mule.”

“More than you know.” Maxim’s brows knitted together.

“What is the danger you plan to face?”

“Her name is Zaylyn. It’s a long story and I’ll…!” Maxim’s voice trailed off when he saw Willa react to Zaylyn’s name. “You know her don’t you!?”

“I’ve heard stories, and all I can say is…stay as far away from her as possible.”

“Well, she’s dead now, so I guess we can all breathe freely again.”

“Looks can be deceiving,” Willa pushed past Maxim to look for Oddily. “Where is she? You shouldn’t leave her alone until we know for sure.”

Maxim charged back up the stairs and found Oddily still fast asleep. She looked so soft and sweet laying there with her hair in a tousled mess. He wondered what she would say or do when she woke and found herself in his room. Willa had followed and placed her hand on his shoulder. “You have no idea what it takes to destroy a time traveler, and Zaylyn is advanced in the ways of your kind.”

Before Willa could say more, Oddily began to move.

“Oddily!” she heard Maxim’s voice, but couldn’t open her eyes. “Come on baby. Wake up!”

Oddily forced her eyes open, her arms flailing out in all directions when he tried to touch her.

“Hey, it’s me, Maxim.” He grabbed her up in his arms to comfort her. “I’m right here. You are safe now.”

“I want to go home,” she whimpered.

“You are home, silly.”

Oddily pulled away from Maxim bathed in sweat. “What’s wrong with me? I’m soaking wet.”

“I’ll get you a wash cloth and be right back.”

In Maxim’s wake, Oddily noticed a human-like girl standing near the opening of the bedroom. The curious looking android was presumably another one of Maxim’s creations, so she spoke to it.

“Hi.” Oddily watched as the perfect unflawed face became animated.

“Hello,” it replied with a synthesized voice box.

Oddily stared at the round green eyes as they shifted in their sockets. “Do you have a name?”

“Willa.”

“Are you a scanner like Sweeper?” She was curious about the human-like flesh and wondered if it felt as real as it appeared.

“No.” Willa continued with her one word replies.

The android seemed harmless enough so Oddily flopped back down on the pillow and closed her eyes allowing her mind to drift until Maxim returned. By then, the details of what happened to her earlier that day had sunk in and she began to gasp for air.

“Take deep breath’s,” Maxim rushed back to her side, running a cool cloth over her forehead. “That’s right…try to relax. Everything’s okay now.”

When Oddily’s breathing returned to normal, she sat up. With Maxim’s face so near hers, she saw the worry he tried so hard to hide. She longed to reach out and touch him, and so she did. He kissed her in return.

“How did I get here?” she glanced at Willa again.

“I’ll explain as soon as you tell me what you remember.”

“I don’t think I want to,” Oddily became disoriented when bits of memory flashed through her mind. “You’re going to think I’m crazy if I do.”

Maxim’s heart began to beat faster. “Crazy is being surrounded by robots,” he forced a laugh to reassure her.

Once again, Oddily glanced at Willa.

“She’s one of my father’s creations. Isn’t she incredible!?”

“Yeah, she looks…so real! What is her skin made out of?”

Maxim hadn’t had a chance to examine Willa’s new body, so at the moment he had no answers. Thankfully, Willa spoke up for him.

“My skin tissue is organic in nature.”

Oddily stared at Maxim with her cute inquisitive way. “What did she just say?”

“She is implying that the skin covering her structure is the same as ours. Now tell me, what happened to you tonight.”

“Well…Mel was going to bring me back something to eat, so I wanted to wash my hands and…”

“What a minute—back up. Who is Mel?”

“He’s one of the boys we met at the mall. So anyway, I went to the girl’s room to wash up…”

“Hold on. The three of you picked up guys?”

“No! Well at least I didn’t. I wanted to be dropped off at the Village; but Pepper needed to eat first, and that’s when the boys came over to our table.”

“All right…go on.”

“Okay. I was drying off my hands, and a girl tripped and fell as she came out from one of the bathroom stalls. I asked if she was okay, but she just laid there. I didn’t know what to do, so I knelt over her to see if she was conscious and…” Oddily’s voice trailed off and she began to tremble.

“Hey, what is it?” He stroked her hair. “What happened?”

“She…pulled off her wig and smiled up at me,” Oddily shuddered at the remembrance. “The girl was baldheaded and…and then there was a flash of bright light. The bathroom began to spin around, or maybe it was me…I’m not sure, and then the bathroom was gone! I found myself standing in an old dilapidated chapel. At first I thought I was alone, but someone grabbed me from behind and stuck a rag over my nose and mouth. The cloth had a strange odor and that’s all I can remember until I woke up here. I’m scared. I don’t understand what’s happening to me.”

Maxim was stunned. If what Oddily said was true, Zaylyn had managed to transport Oddily to the cemetery…and Oddily had survived the unnatural incident!

When tears welled up in Oddily’s eyes, Maxim noticed that Willa had stepped out of the room.

“Oddily, listen to me. There is an explanation for all of this.”

“No…you don’t understand. Didn’t Nexa tell you that I tried to kiss Paul this morning?”

Maxim’s head jerked back in surprise, and then he remembered Nexa’s words. She had said that Zaylyn had gotten to Oddily right from under their nose’s.

“I don’t know what came over me,” Oddily shook her head in bewilderment. “Paul laughed it off as if it was a joke and so did Nexa, but I want you to know anyway.”

Maxim sighed heavily and then drew Oddily close and rested his cheek on top of her head.

With all the ideas running through his mind on how to handle Oddily’s situation, he didn’t know what to do. Should he erase the memory of the events that had her so unnerved? That would require him to alter Pepper and Carrie’s memories as well. Or, was now the time for Oddily to know the truth?

Suddenly, Maxim released Oddily and grabbed the sides of her head. “I’m sorry baby. I won’t allow you to continue with this suffering!”

“You called me baby again!” She gave Maxim a lazy smile as his eyes pierced into hers. “What are you…doing?”

Maxim lowered Oddily’s head on the pillow and tucked a blanket up around her shoulders. “Willa, will you come in here please?”

Willa had been waiting outside and quickly entered the room to find Oddily sleeping again.

“I need to have you watch over Oddily while I’m away.”

“I understand, but please…whatever you’re planning, you need to be careful.”

“I will.” Maxim stood up and his body dissolved within a beam of soft light while he focused on the fate of his sister and Paul. He hoped he would find them safe.

15

Maxim materialized inside the chapel where he had last seen his sister. Zaylyn’s body was gone, and there was only one place where Paul and Nexa could have taken her—the graveyard. After Maxim left the chapel, he began to walk through the moonlit cemetery all the while keeping a keen eye on his surroundings.

“Paul! Nexa! Where are you?” The sound of Maxim’s voice had frightened a cluster of bats. When they took flight, Maxim pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his head as he continued with his search.

Picking up speed, he began to jog between tombstones—looking for any signs of a fresh grave. It was Paul and Nexa’s only plausible solution for hiding Zaylyn’s body.

Maxim gasped when something scampered across his path. The critter nearly collided with him; but it veered off in another direction, and Maxim continued with a sense that time was running out. The premonition both confused and worried him.

Finally, after spotting a mound of excavated soil, Maxim sprinted over to the gravesite and spotted a pipe sticking up out of the pile of dirt. Was it an airway?

Maxim dropped to his knees and began to scoop out the soil with his bare hands until he reached the lid to a wooden coffin. With a little more digging, he was able to yank off the cover with such brutal force, his surge in strength shocked even him. But what unnerved him even more was…the coffin was empty.

Maxim jumped to his feet and spun around to scan the perimeter of the woods. He had walked into a trap—a strategy to mess with his mind…but from whom?! When Maxim finally realized the truth, he threw back his head and released a primal outburst of rage that echoed through the night. “I know you’re alive Zaylyn!”

Sure enough, she stepped out from behind one of the tombstones. “No thanks to you,” she began to pout. “All you seemed to care about was taking your precious Oddily home!”

“Where’s Nexa?” He shouted to drown out her voice.

“Stop hollering at me,” Zaylyn complained. “You’re starting to hurt my feelings.”