Retrieval

Foreword

Hello all! It's been a while since I finished my last Pokémon story, Changed, in which a normal human from our "real" world was ripped away to the Pokémon version of Earth while being changed into a simisage. My new novelette Retrieval, is a direct sequel to it. If you haven't yet read Changed, this story will make a lot more sense if you first go back and read it.

For this story, I'm trying something I haven't tried before: writing in both first and third-person viewpoints. Because Changed was written in first-person, and I needed to introduce a second main character for this story, I felt the best option was to write that person's viewpoint in the third-person to maintain a clear separation of POVs. I'm quite keen to find out how well I pulled it off as I add chapters.

As always, thanks for reading!

Prelude: Strange Creature

Origin Earth

Colonel Thomas "Tom" Tucker sighed while waiting for clearance through the checkpoint as a rare desert thunderstorm loomed overhead. He was usually happy to visit his sister, but this occasion he had mixed feelings. It was going to be all business, likely a kind she wasn't going to appreciate…assuming what she alluded over the phone was as serious as it sounded. It was a business he also wasn't relishing, for a different reason.

On the guard's wave, he drove through the opened gate to park outside the large main building far inside the Nevada military complex, just as the skies opened up. Fortunately the facility was medium security, so only a hand-print scanner served as the check to enter, saving him seconds of drenching. That didn't in any way preclude areas of the building from having higher security, however. After another guard's check of his identification and a sign-in, he continued a now familiar route to a certain office. Outside, his younger black-haired sister was visible through the door's window engaged with a male colleague, both in white lab coats.

Civilians.

Civis working there wasn't unusual, and was actually quite common even with classified projects that were only managed by the Air Force. However this 'project' was a bit…unprecedented, even world-changing, and getting civis cleared for such a project had been more difficult. Still, his sister's uncommon yet needed expertise had prompted the brass to choose her along with a couple others, although the fact she had a high-clearance military officer for an older brother absolutely helped. Further, having her on the project was likely the deciding reason he was chosen to help oversee it, although his "special projects" experience was only with hardware-orientated ones, very different from this one. Indeed, even the smell around this part of the building was more like a hospital, something he wasn't used to at all.

On noticing him, the conversation between the two scientists ended and Tom allowed the man, who he half suspected to be working for some other government organization, to leave before entering himself. Before even saying a word, he exchanged a hug with his only remaining close family member and took the offered towel.

"You got here even faster than I expected," she said, seemingly with some relief. "Not that I'm not simply glad to see you for the first time in three weeks."

He smiled, wiping off his still dripping briefcase and cap before setting them on a nearby hardwood chair. "I didn't think you needed that much supervision. Besides, General Langton is usually here anyway."

"I'm supposed to be your direct report and, well, it would be nice to see you a little more often without forcing you here with an urgent phone call."

Noting the nervousness in her tight frown, "Sorry. I was busy with a project at another base that's just wrapping up. I also kind of want to stay out of your way as much as possible. You know, you're the expert here, not me."

"I think you mean you don't want to give the appearance of playing favorites because I'm your sister, right?"

He had to nod at her bluntness, since there was some truth to it. Merely having siblings on the same project was a delicate enough issue in the military, let alone one of them being in charge of it.

Tilting her head, "Oh maybe I don't mind; you got me this one-of-kind-job, for which I'm very thankful, by the way. Now, if it was because you were seeing someone, I would completely understand."

He reacted with a fast sigh to the good-natured dig that he was in his mid-thirties, and still unmarried or even dating. With both their parents dead, no other siblings and only distant relations with any of their extended family, she was the only one on the planet who could be considered close to him. The same was true of her as well, and probably contributed to the sparseness of personal effects in her office. Like in his own. More to business after the still unwanted reminder, "OK, what exactly happened here that has you sounding so upset?"

"No small talk, huh?" When he didn't respond, she seemed to bite something off before nodding. "Have a seat," as she quickly sat behind her white-topped desk, the tension in her tone returning and her smile fading. Swiveling her monitor around, "I went over this in the last couple reports, but let's start with video of my sessions from two weeks ago that you haven't watched yet."

At first, the video didn't present anything he hadn't seen before as far as scenery, although Lucie strode into the spacious, white concrete-walled cell with more ease than in previous videos. Apparently expecting her, the short and stocky bi-pedaled, white-haired creature, sporting a red zigzag stripe across its chest, two long pointed ears of which one was white and the other red, and two long claws in place of fingers but still having short thumbs, stood up. His sister greeted the strange creature, getting a peculiar grunt in return. Several clips later, she was playing a game of checkers with it, in which it actually put up a good battle, though ultimately losing.

Even when the creature was first brought in two months ago, shortly after its capture in a suburb of Minneapolis, it was evident the animal was more intelligent than any other, save for humans. Now seeing its latest accomplishment and not just reading about it in a report, his appreciation of its intelligence grew once more.

Its demeanor during the game though, with frequent and long looks up at her, struck him that it was studying her as much as she was studying it. He found it unsettling.

Careful to not sound concerned but allowing his surprise through, "Impressive…comprehending a board-game now?!"

"That was over two weeks ago. Keep watching."

Another jump to a different scene with Lucie sitting on the floor at a small, short table across from the creature, showing it various printed images as she slowly pronounced a word or simple phrase to describe each. The creature made clear attempts to mimic her, with little success…

…until the tenth image. Then it clearly vocalized the word "house", causing visible astonishment in his sister.

And now him. Tom became aware of his open mouth and pounding heart as the animal voiced an increasing number of words on dozen of subsequent images, despite its differently shaped mouth.

"I know," Lucie said after glancing at him, sounding half excited yet half subdued. "Now a second species on the planet that can speak English, after only two months. It took me a good day to really comprehend that. And this week he's started constructing his own sentences and not just mimic."

Partly in shock, his estimation of this animal's intelligence grew yet again, this time by an order of magnitude. Yes, this was all in her last report, but…did he really think she'd been exaggerating? If anything, he was surprised at how surprised he felt, given the other evidence he had access to that she didn't…yet.

"Granted, he's like a four-year-old in language ability right now," Lucie continued more solemnly, "but otherwise I think he's at least equal to an eight or maybe ten-year old human in raw intelligence. I expect that gap to shrink."

"Incredible…" he mouthed. It also gave him an even worse foreboding about her earlier phone call, as he noted her tensing her hands around a pen. "So what happened?"

Clicking pause on the computer, "Tom, I have to ask yet again: Just where did this animal come from?"

Sighing, he prepared to recite the same line he'd given her before more than once, both hoping and not hoping it would be the last time.

"I know, I know, you either don't know or can't say other than it was captured two months ago in Minnesota. But considering there's no other animal like it on the face of the planet…at least, that we know of…right?"

"I know of no other," Tom returned truthfully. He endured an intense, uncomfortable stare that suggested the bombshell was about to be dropped before she turned back to the monitor.

She gave her own sigh before continuing in a lower, more careful voice, her hands threatening to break the pen. "OK, this next video is of what happened this morning. I would've told you more over the phone, but I know security limits us." Clicking the play button and folding her arms across her chest, "Its ability to speak is still limited, but I'll let you come to your own…conclusion. It scared the hell out of me, though."

Tom watched silently while in the new scene, his sister asked the creature where it came from. As she had warned, its words over the long exchange were still halting and often hard to interpret or even make sense of. One thing that seemed clear however, was in indicating it was from a different world, at which point its manner and expression became something darker. In response to more of Lucie's increasingly excited questions, it revealed more…many more of its kind existed there. And they would follow…

…many, many more…come…stay...to tell…

…to take…?

The creature continued more forcibly, positioning its claws in a clear motion of indicating everything around it, grabbing it, bringing it to itself, then finishing with a claw straight at her.

More words, clearer than before…

To come and take over!

The creature reiterated it words, as if making sure it was understood. Although the animal's face was different from humans, it was similar enough to convey understandable expressions. The one it was now wearing conveyed confidence.

And anger, hostility.

Lucie seemed to suddenly recognize it, promptly leaving the cell.

Tom breathed through gritted teeth as he had Lucie replay the last part of the clip. Yet despite the still sizable language barrier, the meaning seemed very clear and he felt his blood turn to ice.

So…it was true!

Since capturing the creature and connecting it to other unusual events happening around that time, it'd been a top priority to learn where it came from and why. Although the answers were already strongly suspected by those with clearance, this though would likely move them to nearly certain and he barely suppressed uttering a "Damn."

"I…think I freaked out there," Lucie said after a moment, closing her eyes with the appearance of reliving something unpleasant. "Um…this morning after I called you, I did a little investigating. I found some news stories from a couple months ago, mentioning the sighting of some strange blue ball in a suburb of Minneapolis, very close to the time and place you said this creature was captured." As she faced him with clear concern, "Tom, are the two connected?! Are there more of these things running around somewhere? I damn well know there's things you can't tell me, but classified or not, I'm getting just a little spooked here. What the hell am I studying?!"

He grimaced while noting her shaking. "OK, just take a deep breath and calm down. Second, who else has seen this video?" He was feeling a bit scared himself for multiple reasons, but forced himself to appear as the calm rock in the storm.

She did take the deep breath, letting it out in a long sigh as she faced away. "I haven't shown this last part to anyone else yet, but Doug had been monitoring while I was in there. And I forced him to secrecy until I at least talked to you." Shaking her head, "I swear…damn, I swear it was talking about an invasion…with a lot of others of its kind. And I don't think it was joking, Tom!"

Neither did he considering the other more classified evidence, and the video now brought him much closer to declaring this creature a threat. Which would mean more study was sorely needed, with his sister still the best suited for it.

Yet...

God, he had reservations for what he had to do next, especially with how upset she already was. What he really wanted to do was rip her off the project and protect her, but they needed her more than ever now.

Deciding to delay that business as long as possible, he instead got up to circle the desk and give her a reassuring hug as she still sat. Slightly changing the subject, "Has it said what those glowing claws were yet? Is it still using them?"

It was a rather mystifying thing. Before and during its capture, it was noted it tried slashing people and objects with its long claws as they glowed a very faint purple. Even after they got it into the cell at the base, it repeatedly smashed tables and chairs with them. Yet the damage wasn't anything a human couldn't have done with a small club; the glow didn't bestow any particular advantage they could determine. His sister in fact theorized some of the frustration or anger it exhibited was due to the glow not doing what it expected, especially since it kept looking it its claws after hitting with them as if surprised.

Again with the information he had access to, he was fairly sure she was right. Especially again with what the creature just confirmed.

Lucie shook her head. "Not really. He seems to test it every now and then, but never around me, Doug or Eugene. I still swear, whatever it thought the glow was supposed to do, the second it realized it wasn't working, it started behaving. Just my gut instinct." After a another half-moment of sibling embrace, she leaned away to look up at him. "You changed the subject. What don't you want to tell me?"

He half smiled. "Obvious, huh?" After she crossed her arms and nodded, "Not so much say, but offer."

In a suspicious tone, "Offer me…what?"

Moving back around the desk to retrieve several papers from his briefcase as he sat again, "It was left to my discretion whether this would be required or not, but after what I just saw, I think it is." He handed the papers over and carefully watched her reaction as she started reading.

Her eyebrows soon rose. "An...officer commission?!"

Nodding, "You're right: there is a lot more I can tell you about that creature, but you need to become a commissioned officer for the higher clearance required before I can tell you."
She stared back, uncertainty about her still youthful expression as she narrowed her blue eyes. "I don't want to be in the Air Force, Tom! You know I'm not cut out for that like you are! I'm an animal behaviorist and biologist, a scientist. What the hell would I do in the Air Force?!"

Holding up a hand, "Exactly what you're doing now. It'd be a special appointment on General Langton's authority. You won't have to go through boot camp or even any classes except some basic orientation, mostly so you'll know how to do a proper salute and address stuffy higher-ups." Seeing his failed attempt at humor by her continued (and expected) objection, "Lucie, listen, the stuff I need to tell you now is considered of a national security nature of the highest level. Further, this project's security classification is also about to go up to the same level; you will need greater clearance anyway just to continue being here. The General on up the chain of command insist we follow full military procedure on this one, which means any higher level clearance is reserved for those actually commissioned. I'm sorry, but I can't do anything about that, except to assist you in getting that required commission."

She looked between him and the papers several times before slowly shaking her head and shoving them away. "Tom...I…I'm not about to give my life to the Air Force. Taking this research job wasn't supposed to come to that. Yes, it's been exciting; that animal in there is...like an alien. But being in the military, I mean, how long would I be subject to being called up and everything else?!"

"When this project is completed, you can leave at any time," Tom tried to reassure. "You won't be subject to Active Reserves or call up or anything like that. This is a special commission only with no long-term commitment, except to this project." Seeing her staring at the papers with serious consternation, he almost regretted trying the next ploy, but if the stakes were as high as they potentially were…

Reaching back into his briefcase, he pulled out a tablet computer and set it before her. "On that, there's some video I think you'll find compelling. It has to do with events around when and where the creature was found, and could indicate something quite serious that underscores how important the work you're doing is." Without looking her in the eye, "I really don't want to twist your arm, but I greatly prefer for you to continue leading this effort, not someone else. You are the best qualified, and I'm not just saying that because you're my sister, or that you've already been working with it for the last one and a half months." Indeed, her handful of published papers and accolades she'd received in her short career since collage spoke enough to that. Of course, as her older brother and de facto caretaker right after their parent's deaths, he was especially proud as any parent would had been.

She sighed loudly, picking up the one mostly pre-filled form to glance over it again. After a baited moment: "No other commitments, other than working on this project? And I continue to report directly to you?"

"Scouts honor," saying it with a half-hearted grin while crossing his heart, knowing she always liked that phrase. "Your appointment is pre-approved; you only need to sign and date that and it's done."

Lucie grimaced, then after another lengthy sigh, "Oh-what-the-hell; it's not like I really have a life outside of work either."

As she grabbed her pen, he grabbed yet another item from his briefcase and on her finishing, set the two new insignia before her. "Congratulations little sis; here's your new bars."

"Shiny," she said with a weak smile. "But why do I suddenly feel like I'm in prison?"

"No idea," he returned flatly. Which wasn't true; she often asked if his life in the Air Force was too limiting, especially in regards to his personal life. He always thought it was the opposite, especially after he became an officer…although that was likely because he made little effort finding a wife instead of devoting himself to special research projects. Thing was, he enjoyed what he was doing, and it was the prospect of marriage that struck him as being limiting.

At least…that was his thinking a few years ago. At thirty-six now, he'd had more than one moment of feeling time was running out, tired of having an empty house to come home to, and no children to raise.

Instead of taking the two gold bars of second lieutenant, Lucie grabbed the tablet. "What's the password?"

"'We are no longer in Kansas, Lucie'. With a comma." His sister appeared to stifle a snort as she typed.

"You weren't expecting me to sign that paper at all, were you?"

"Just thought I'd be prepared," he returned with a sly smirk. After giving her a few seconds, "Play the video called 'TS72-2017'. It was recorded over some distance so it's a little shaky, despite having been stabilized."

After she started it, he looked down while mentally keeping track of what was being shown by the scant audio, having studied it dozens of times already. From the ship's cameraman repeatedly asking "what the hell is that?", to the reaction of the others around him, he perfectly visualized what had been visible through the glowing blue sphere discovered over the ocean mere miles from Norfolk Naval Station.

"What…is this?" Lucie finally asked more than a minute through. "Looks like a…battle or something between…weird dragon-like creatures, through a blue, hazy disk. Is this a movie? A…projection or hologram?"

"That's no movie; it was real," Tom returned with all seriousness. "That blue ball seen in Minneapolis you said you read about? That was actually the second one spotted. The first one is what you're watching there. It was discovered by the Navy near Norfolk several days before the one in Minneapolis, but then disappeared right about the same time the other appeared. Yet this first one, as you're seeing, was showing some rather interesting things."

"This is real?! But that's not…"

Although no sound from the sphere was recorded over the half-mile distance the naval ship kept, he could imagine it from the imagery of creatures being hit by various beams and arcs, pounding them through crumbling ice. "We have every reason to suspect that creature you've been studying here is from that place." Glancing up, he found his sister staring at him.

It took her another moment to ask the next obvious question. "You mean this blue sphere is…a…doorway…to another place…?!"

Nodding, he was actually feeling relieved in finally being able to reveal everything. He hated keeping secrets from her, even if it was in the interest of national security. "We think so, at least some form of one, and that's one reason why studying that creature is such high importance. We aren't sure of its intentions, it strengths or weaknesses, if more are coming here or are already here. Will the other creatures we saw through that sphere come here too? We aren't certain, but you just saw the power those things seem to have. Hell, the blast from that one seemed to knock another clear through some kind of ice pillar. That would have killed any of us."

"Like they're using…magic or something," Lucie replied in a near whisper, eyes going back to the video as a sailor exclaimed something about a nasty hit. "You only see that in movies. I mean, beams and waves and stuff coming from their...er, hands or mouths?"

"Probably a form of energy generated and channeled by their bodies," Tom provided, recalling what another scientist theorized, then let his sister finish watching to where the sphere faded out of existence. "So, we think when it disappeared there, it actually reappeared in that Minneapolis suburb, although it was much shorter lived. Likely only a few minutes." He watched his sister set the tablet down and slowly sit back, still staring at the device as if in shock.

"OK, our…strange little animal here is possibly from another world…a world full of other… magical creatures?" Her mouth opened a good moment before any other words came out. "W…Why does it feel like you're trying to pull my leg, Tom?"

He had to smirk, her reaction nearly like his two months before. "Yeah, unbelievable, huh? Except we have one of those creatures right here as at least some proof. You've said it already: he isn't like any other animal on this planet." He allowed that to sink in before continuing, "Now for the second bombshell."

Lucie looked up as if startled out of a stupor. "There's more?!"

"You wanted to know everything," returning in a I-told-you-so tone, hoping to lighten just slightly what was about to turn much more serious. "There's another file on there, a copy of a police report. While investigating connections as to why these spheres appeared where they did, we learned a man went missing six weeks prior. In fact, his house was right next to where the second sphere was."

"Six weeks?" Furrowing her brow under her almost eye-brow length black hair, "Sure that makes a connection?"

"His family reported him missing after he had sent an email to them the very day of his disappearance, informing them he was leaving. Oddly though, he left a complete report of what happened to him…written from four months in the future, supposedly." Quickly raising a finger to stop her expected objection, "According to his account, he was taken to the planet where those creatures are and in fact, describes perfectly what was in that video you just watched. Six weeks before any of it happened." Gesturing to the tablet as he watched his sister's mouth open and shut, "A copy of his account is with that police report. It's a lengthy read, but very interesting to say the least."

Glancing again at the tablet, Lucie seemed to be at a loss. "Honestly, I'm not sure what to think."

He nodded with complete understanding. "Yeah. Just read the report and this man's account for now. If it's true, then that creature," pointing to the direction of its cell in the building, "which is called a zangoose by the way, is from another world, a parallel Earth in fact, and it's inhabited by hundreds of species similar to it as well as humans, or that planet's version of them. Further, those two blue spheres were indeed portals between here and there, and that zangoose came through the second one." Just when his sister looked totally overwhelmed, he found himself ready to drop the final bomb. "And one last revelation before you faint from all of this, Lucie."

"More?!" she mouthed, her face already becoming a noticeable shade of white.

"Yeah, and this is the most critical, or maybe frightening part." He hesitated, giving her a few seconds to prepare, if it were possible. "Again according to the man's written account, some of those creatures were trying to invade and take over this world, possibly destroying it in the process. Those spheres were the realization of that attempt. Fortunately it was thwarted on their end, barely, otherwise we'd probably wouldn't even be here."

Prepared to go around the desk again, he studied her shocked expression carefully given his own experience when he was told. Although he was sure she could handle everything and what would probably be coming, he wasn't sure at all what direction the project was going to take now, given the zangoose's apparent confirmation of the most critical part of the missing man's account. Still, he could envision several additional areas of research, mostly involving the broader biology of the class of creatures called "Pokémon".

Continuing, "However, if those spheres formed twice already, we're assuming they can be formed again. We therefore need to continue learning everything we can from this zangoose and through it, as much additional information about the other world and its life forms as possible."

The wide-eyed, deer-in-the-headlights look slightly abating from her face, "But…he only just started speaking English. And his mouth isn't shaped to form some of our sounds. We might not ever be able to…"

"We just have to do our best. Even if the threat was eliminated as the man's story claims, well… a portal to another habitable planet is still a worthy goal to pursue. They supposedly have quite advanced technology there, and this zangoose may have information that could help us get there."

"Seriously?" Lucie scoffed, a little to his surprise. "So this planet may be in danger but if it isn't, we want to find a way to go to this other world to stir things up?!"

He suppressed a smile for how she had put it, again closely matching his own reaction at the time. "Better we get information to protect ourselves before we need it." Then bringing up an argument he'd used on his own commanding officer to point out a more purely scientific side, "However, the animal life there is apparently quite amazing, and most of it friendly...supposedly; it would be one hell of a field trip for scientific study…if we can find a way there." Noting her changing expression, "The animal in that cage is just the tiniest glimpse of that world."

There. Carrot served. Not that he didn't find the idea of finding a way there appealing himself; perhaps more of his sister's intense curiosity rubbed off on him than he sometimes admitted. He waited as a range of emotions seemed to cross her face.

"Tom…" She slowly shook her head while suddenly rubbing her temples. "…my head is swimming from all this. I mean Christ, I really don't know how to react to all this."

Finally getting up again to briefly rub her shoulders, "I know the feeling, believe me. So I think you should just take some time, read the reports, relax, and allow things to process. Then let me know what you think."

With her meek nod and a last pat to her shoulder, he moved to gather his items. "Oh, I'm going to assign a couple more guards here. They'll be in the cage with you next time you visit that creature. 'Gotta keep you safe after all." He wasn't about to take any unnecessary risks with his sister's life, and hated seeing her frightened in any case.

And perhaps it was his imagination, but the feeling he got from the videos was that intelligent "zangoose" animal was...waiting for something.

The missing man's account...just how accurate was it?!