Ulysses & the Fugitive - Ch. 13: An Unlikely Truce
By Alfred Underhill
"You three don't have long before the precinct sends around another squad car to check on
these two," said Agent O'Flannery, his voice husky from Nera's choke minutes earlier. "We should get
them outside and discuss our options."
Bewildered, Ulysses nodded toward the prone officers. "I don't suppose they know what's
actually going on? What about you?"
"I bloody well hope someone knows what in the great arse-fuck of history is actually going on!"
Giles interjected, his eyes bulging. "I need a logical fucking explanation for all this. Anymore weird shit
happens and I'm jumping out the fucking window."
"That might be preferable to the truth of our present situation, Mr. Taylor. However, jumping
out a window will do absolutely nothing to change the facts themselves," Agent O'Flannery said, his
tone even. He stood up, swayed for a few seconds before steadying himself, and then offered the
three of them a summary of events that had led him to Ulysses's apartment . They listened in grim
silence. "The thing is," said O'Flannery, "I remember everything that happened while that thing had
control of me. As I mentioned earlier, there were five service members and one woman that looked
similar to her," he pointed to Nera. "I get the feeling there are more, but I didn't see them. I don't
know the full capabilities of their craft, but they can more than hold their own against an F-18." He
paused for a moment. "Whatever the finer details of this situation may be, it looks like all of it hinges
on these parasites."
Nera nodded. "You are correct. These creatures, the hyssopshebolith, attach themselves to a
suitable host, which they use to achieve their ends. When they die, they look like this." She held up the
fabric-like corpse and pointed to the one that wrapped her hair. "For some reason, my touch is lethal