Chapter Twelve: The Zeta Ghostbusters
The aroma of freshly baked Whoppers and fries made Diana even hungrier coming out of the Burger King on Fifth Avenue. They just don't make 'em like this anymore, she thought while walking out the exit – a paper bag with her and Janine's food in one hand and a large cup of Dr. Pepper that she took frequent sips out of in the other. A gentleman entering the restaurant in a business suit opened the door for her on the way out; his chivalrous gesture being another thing that Diana rarely saw in a New Yorker from the era and world that she came from. Of course, shortly thereafter, a black teenage street performer in a bright red track suit with a gold chain around his neck, glasses with white frames but no lenses, and a medium-sized afro nearly bumped into her, paying no mind to his surroundings, except for the small audience he gained at the sidewalk.
The kid showed some impressive dance steps to the tune of Toto's "Africa," a song Diana had not heard since she was the young performer's age. She found herself quickly catching interest in his performance, bobbing her head to the beat while keeping up with his quick moves, which included classics like the head spin and the robot (moves that hardly any dance clubs featured in the 21st century). The nostalgia had flown through Diana faster than the Dr. Pepper she was sipping on; she felt like she was part of the group of youths watching the performer and cheering him on. It was a definite feel-good moment for her being lost in the times, yet she received a harsh reminder of who and where she really was when a couple that shared her current age passed by and gave judgmental stares in her direction. The message from the stares was clear to Diana: "You should act your age, lady."
Diana's head stopped bobbing along to the tunes of "Africa" and she suddenly lost interest in the street performer who was young enough to be her son. The passing couple, who dressed much older than they looked, put an immediate damper on Diana's good time. She moved from loving the fact that she was back in a decade she missed dearly to wishing she was back in one that made her into the woman she almost forgot she was. This version of 1984, although strongly reminiscent of the one she grew up in, was not her 1984. She belonged in 2010, a time when it was okay for a woman her age to groove to 80s classics and not feel embarrassed about it. People in their mid-forties living in 1984 might as well have been grooving to Elvis Presley or Buddy Holly and not Toto.
Regardless of the moment, the time had come for Diana to return to the firehouse while the Whoppers and fries were still hot. She hailed for one of the dozens of taxicabs passing through Fifth Avenue and thankfully got one the moment she shouted "Taxi!" Upon entering the cab, she thanked the driver; however, he did not respond and only complied with her emergence into the vehicle by pulling away from the street corner much sooner than she expected (the passenger door was still open when the wheels started moving). Surprised and angered by the rude action, Diana yelled to the driver, "Hey! Watch it! I barely got both of my feet in!"
Again, the driver did not react to her criticism of his driving. Curiously, Diana looked to the rearview mirror, which allowed her to see the cab driver's eyes. She was shocked to see how stark yellow they were and lacking any eyelids. She then realized for the first time since entering the cab how a putrid odor had filled its interior. In her years of dealing with ghosts and other dead creatures, she recognized the smell of death when it was there. The cab driver was in fact a living zombie that drove like a madman through the streets of the city, weaving in and out between other cars and forcing them to crash into each other to avoid its chaotic path.
Comprehending the nightmarish position she found herself in, and without a Proton Pack strapped on her to get her out of it, Diana uttered in fright, "Oh, God!"
"You call to Him like He will help you, but there is no one to help. Typical of you mortals to do that."
The young female voice spoke out from Diana's right, and she discovered that she was not the only passenger in the cab. Sitting there beside her was a ghostly pale young woman with dark purple rings around her eyes, hair that was supposed to be blonde but instead the color of vanilla, and dried-out, chapped lips. She wore a Ghostbuster uniform that was wrinkled and tattered, exposing more of her ghostly pale body, which showed signs of fatigue and frailty. Her body type was not too far from a state of anorexia. Diana almost could not believe her eyes once she realized who her unhealthy-looking fellow passenger was.
"Meagan?"
The young woman looked to her with possessed, reddened eyes. "There is no Meagan."
A more careful glance over Meagan's ghostly appearance clued Diana in on whom she was really talking to. "Allha." The Observer of Gozer, who Diana had not seen in person since their expedition in the Seventh Circle, was once again in possession of the young Ghostbuster. While as Meagan, she looked the same as (if not worse than) last time, but it was clear to Diana how the possession had taken its toll on Meagan's body. "What've you done to this poor child? She looks like she hasn't eaten in months!"
"This body hasn't need of any sustenance."
"Maybe not for you, but Meagan does!" Diana exclaimed.
"There is no Meagan, only…"
"Allha. Right, I know. But even you can't exist without her. If you continue to let her body starve like this, it will kill both of you."
Allha's eyes darted away from Diana, seeming to consider her truthful warning. She then looked to the paper bag in Diana's hand that carried the 1980s Burger King logo. She snatched the bag away from Diana, who barely caught sight of the action due to how hasty it was. Allha brought it close to her nose and sniffed; her stomach growled in reaction to the aroma that would make the mouths of normal beings water; of course, between the smell of burgers and that of the decomposed taxi driver in front of them, Diana pretty much lost her appetite.
Hearing and feeling her stomach growl, Allha curiously looked to Diana and asked, "This…is what you mortals…eat?"
"The ones who aren't keen on dieting, yeah."
Allha focused on the paper bag again and studied it. After a moment, she proceeded to bite into the paper, which she believed to be the "food" itself.
"No, no!" Diana exclaimed. "Not the bag. What's in the bag."
With half-chewed paper in her mouth, Allha appeared to be very confused on Diana's instruction. She opened the bag and pulled out the first paper-wrapped Whopper inside. She went right to eating it – not bothering to remove the wrapper. Diana watched in disgust as both burger and wrapper went into Allha's mouth, while pieces of the burger's contents (pickles, ketchup, mayo, lettuce, etc.) landed all over the tattered Ghostbuster uniform she wore, staining it. Once she was finished with the one Whopper, she went for the next one in the bag that was supposed to be Janine's, eating it in the same manner. To Diana, Allha ate like a dog, which was understandable considering that her true form was one. After consuming the French fries and the cartons they came in, Allha noticed the bag was empty and tossed it out the window.
She looked to her stomach and waited for it to growl again; when it did not, she turned to Diana and gawked at her without any type of expression on her face, which had stains that made a messy-eating baby look classy. "This body now feels humbled by this gift of food," she said before unleashing a loud, sickening belch.
Diana nodded, trying her best not to vomit. "Good to know."
"It makes it that much more disappointing when such pleasantries will no longer be in existence."
Her words helped Diana to recall the warning she gave shortly after their Seventh Circle escapade. "You did mean Gozer when you said there was 'one other who desires vengeance upon you all,' didn't you?" Allha did not confirm it, but the intensity in her eyes was enough to for Diana. "Oh, boy." She sighed with an overwhelming sense of desolation; not only was it confirmed to her that Gozer had an involvement in their presence in the alternate 1984 world, but it turned out that Kim was right in her hypothesis about it. "So when will the imminent return happen?"
"Soon." Allha responded.
"Well, she'd better get in line then, because there's an even bigger threat than her on the approach – Chernabog." Allha's eyes intensified upon hearing that name from Diana, even glowing bright red. But the look only made Diana more suspicious of what the Observer of Gozer knew. "Wait a minute. You've been expecting him to make a move, haven't you?"
"Gozer has anticipated Chernabog's arrival for centuries." Allha stated. "Only now that their paths and goals have aligned can the Destructor's ultimate possession occur."
Diana was put off from the words "ultimate possession." "You mean Gozer's planning to take Chernabog's form?"
"Full possession will promise the Destructor to become full god. Countless worlds will be destroyed, starting with yours and then returning to finish what was begun in this one."
Allha's monotone delivery of this information alarmed Diana more than the info itself; it was like she did not care whatsoever what level of destruction Gozer brought while in possession of Chernabog. Frustration taking over her, Diana brashly asked, "And what role do you play in all of this? What's a common minion like you getting out of it?"
"To ensure the Destructor's plan," she said before looking away from Diana and adding, "and see my brothers and sisters again."
Noting the slight expression of melancholy on her face, Diana inquisitively questioned, "Brothers and sisters? You mean like Vinz and Zuul?"
"They are members of my long-extinct race. The Ghostbuster mortals of this world destroyed them when Gozer manifested here. She found your world and believed in another prospect, using her power to resurrect them. But you and your Ghostbusters ended that in the same way as your counterparts. Because of anyone carrying the title of 'Ghostbuster,' my brother Vinz remains dead." She locked her gaze on Diana again, her eyes glowing in a brighter shade of red in reflection of the fury within her. "It will not happen again. Gozer will take over Chernabog, and the Clortho clan will live again."
Diana felt her body tremble; she was going to be sick again, not from the foul odor flowing through the cab's interior or the stains of food all over Allha, but from the idea of the greatest threat of domination ever heard of happening, with no possible way of stopping it. Yet all she could think about in this frightening world that Allha painted out for her was where Meagan would be in it if she was still possessed by Allha. "Just tell me this…the poor girl whose body you're in now…what happens to her after this life where Gozer destroys everything and your race of 'demon dogs' make a comeback happens?"
Without pause, Allha answered, "She will die – just like every other mortal I have possessed to ensure Gozer's destruction."
That response was enough to bring tears in Diana's eyes.
The taxicab came to a screeching halt right in front of the firehouse headquarters, much to the dismay of Diana. She was thankful that Kim, Sean, and J.G. were at Dana Barrett's apartment on what she originally believed to have been a wild goose chase. Had they been there when she and Allha walked in, there would certainly be disorder, which was the last thing she wanted there to be with Janine and Theresa (two innocent bystanders) in the thick of it. Unfortunately, Janine and Theresa were there – all by themselves; it was doubtful whether the two women could defend themselves should Allha make any sort of attack – Theresa only had a few days of experience as a Ghostbuster, mainly as the mechanic.
Diana and Allha exited the taxicab shortly before its long-dead driver sped away down the street, unleashing his "road rage" on the rest of New York's motorists. As thankful as she was to be out of the foul-smelling vehicle after nearly an hour of having a thrill ride in it, Diana would be even more thankful if she had a Proton Pack strapped to her back. There was no way she could get to one without Allha watching every move she made. She needed a distraction…she needed a plan. The best she could come up with, as she and the Observer of Gozer walked up to the firehouse entrance, was to have Janine do what she did best and chat away at Allha while Diana and Theresa went to get their Packs. It was either that plan or hope that her fellow teammates were fully equipped when they returned. Man, would I love there to be cell phones right about now, she desperately thought.
The two women stepped into the firehouse – Diana taking uneasy steps and Allha's steady, robotic movements in the body of Meagan Tully. Their steps came to a sudden stop as soon as they both caught sight of a group of strangers standing in the middle of the garage area. And they weren't just strangers, three of them were strange. In this group were three women and one man. One of the women was a regular human being with lips as red as a rose and black hair, wearing a variation of the Ghostbuster uniform with the nametag of "Stantz" stitched on it; the other two were completely bizarre in their appearance. Diana actually recognized one as Joie Zeddemore – the "Alien Ghostbuster" that she and Sean met on their first night in the new world. The third woman, who had "Spengler" on her nametag, carried a cyborg appearance – like a cross between Borg and Terminator – with the left half of her body all mechanical from head to toe and the other half human. The mechanical half exposed her metal endoskeleton, which was coated in black with a robotic eye that "blinked" in a rainbow of colors; the human half included long, flowing red hair and peach-colored skin with a hazel eye. The only parts of her human half that crossed over to her mechanical half were her well-structured nose and lush bright pink lips to help form a mouth that she could talk through.
The only male in the group, who had the nametag of "Venkman" on his uniform, was a humanoid with bright yellow skin, orange hair, and green eyes. He had a bronze, steel device enclosing his neck – similar to a neck brace – with lights, buttons, speakers, and a small LED display that currently displayed the term "English" in blinking purple letters. Diana had to guess that the neck device had to be some type of translator; this was confirmed when the man spoke through it. "Hello, Allha," he said in a mechanized voice that came through the speakers on his neck translator; not once did his lips actually move.
Diana was left daunted by the bizarre group standing in the firehouse with suits and equipment that mirrored those of the Ghostbusters team she had known and the ones whose world she was currently living in. She looked to her left, seeing how Allha reacted to them; they clearly weren't part of her agenda. The Observer of Gozer's face only expressed limited confusion and surprise. "Who are you? What manner of creatures are you?"
Joie grinned; her completely black eyes staring down at Allha. "We're Plan C, bitch!"
From the corner of her eye, there came a bright flash that prompted Diana to turn her head to see where the source of the light had come from. There, standing right beside Allha, were J.G., Kim, and Sean. In Kim's hands was a strange, bowl-shaped chrome helmet device; it looked similar to a piece of equipment they used to read the aura and mental structures of other people. Diana had no idea what this version of the helmet did, but she doubted that it read auras or minds. She watched as J.G. and Sean roughly grabbed Allha's arms, subduing and distracting her long enough for Kim to place the helmet directly on her head. A switch on the left side of the helmet was flipped and Allha's stature went from being rigid and tensed to loose and relaxed. There was a transformation in her face as the reddish glow in her eyes had dispersed and expressions that were more human in nature emerged. Even the way in which she spoke was more social and less soulless or monotone: "W-What's going on?"
It was then Diana realized that Allha was no longer in control and Meagan Tully was again. She smiled, feeling relieved to see the young woman as herself again. "Meagan! Are you alright?"
"I guess." She shrugged. "My mouth tastes weird…like I've been eating out of the garbage." Her tongue briefly moved around in her mouth, and she stuck it out to reveal a tiny piece of paper. Plucking the piece off the tip of her tongue, Meagan muttered with great confusion, "What the crap?"
Diana turned her attention to Kim, Sean, and J.G. "Where did you find this thing?" She gestured to the helmet on Meagan's head, noticing the weird alien labels above the switches and blinking lights on it.
Kimberly smiled in immense satisfaction and pointed to the bizarre group nearby. "It was all them."
Diana looked to the group, still unsettled by the unusual appearance of Joie and the other two members that stuck out like a sore thumb. "Who…What are all of you?"
"They're another Ghostbusters team from another world, Dye!" J.G. exclaimed, appearing to be beyond excited – more excited than he had ever been his whole life. "They call themselves the Zeta Ghostbusters, and we were just on their spaceship! It is awesome, Dye! It's the world's biggest Containment Unit in the form of an alien spaceship! How badass is that!"
The young dark-haired woman with the "Stantz" nametag on her uniform stepped forward and addressed Diana. "My name's Maryl-Lyn." She gestured to her three more alien teammates. "You've already met Joie."
Joie nodded at Diana. "Whaddup, my sistah!"
"The new faces are Axel Venkman and Chrissy Spengler." Maryl-Lyn said, introducing the last two Zeta Ghostbusters.
"Greetings," stated Axel's translator. Diana had yet to get used to him not speaking through his mouth.
Chrissy's cybernetic eye "blinked" in unison with her human one as they both stared at Diana. "My sensors tell me that you are disturbed, Diana Zeddemore. Does our appearance unsettle you?"
"Oh, jeez." Joie uttered in exasperation; if her eyes weren't so black, everyone would have noticed them rolling. "She does that shit way too much."
"I am merely indicating a human reaction." Chrissy said, her voice practically as unvaried in tone and delivery as her counterpart, Sean Spengler – only her cyborg physiology added to the personification of an actual robot.
Maryl-Lyn chuckled while still addressing Diana. "Don't mind Chrissy. She's our own walking, talking P.K.E. meter and Proton Pack rolled into one."
"We're workin' on gettin' a Ghost Trap installed in her ass." Joie joked, although Chrissy took it literally from the surprised expression masked on the human half of her face.
Diana was totally overwhelmed by the new team, who were only relatable to her and her team by their last names only; with the exception of Chrissy, the Zetas' personalities were the opposite of their equivalents – Joie oozed with as much sarcasm and arrogance as Kim, Maryl-Lyn was the odd one out like Diana herself, and Axel seemed as friendly and full of heart as J.G. (but it was difficult to tell if that was how he really was with the translator doing most of his talking).
"So…you all are actual alien Ghostbusters?" Diana questioned.
Maryl-Lyn nodded with a modest smile. "Meh. We prefer 'Intergalactic Ghostbusters,' but same thing, I suppose. We come from a far-off galaxy in another dimension of time and space."
"Much like you people and the guys from this dimension, we're pretty friggin' famous where we come from." Joie stated. "We've caught and kicked the ass of every ghost, demon, and deity in our universe."
"Hence our dedication to interdimensional travel between multiple universes." Chrissy said. "We protect and save the worlds where Ghostbusters are non-existent."
Diana began to understand the purpose of this team, yet some facts remained puzzling to her. "If that's your cause, then why come to a world where there are – or at least were – Ghostbusters?"
"We've detected some anomalies that have bounced between this world and the one you all come from." Maryl-Lyn answered.
"No doubt one of those 'anomalies' is Chernabog." J.G. confirmed. "After meeting his son on the rooftop of Dana Barrett's apartment, there's no denying that for a fact."
Diana let out a frustrated sigh, knowing that what she was about to reveal next would undoubtedly fuel Kimberly Venkman's ego even more. "And Gozer, too. The other anomaly is Gozer." She glanced over at Kim, who (as she expected) had a huge, pompous, satisfied smile on her face. "Yes, you were right, O.K.?"
"I know." Kim said. "We heard that little conversation between you and Allha from the Zetas' ship."
Diana's levels of frustration had risen as she realized that she had been led-on. "And yet you still gave yourself the satisfaction of having me admit you were right?"
Kim's smile grew. "Yep. Pretty much."
Diana moaned. "You are unbelievable!"
"If we can get back to the topic of the hour, please?" Joie interjected. "We have the necessary tools to stop Chernie and the Goze, and we're willing to provide them to save the two worlds from their evil plots."
"Well, then beam us back up," said J.G., who was already ecstatic over the idea of returning to the Zetas' ship.
Maryl-Lyn reached over at her upper right arm and pressed her index and middle fingers down on the insignia patch stitched on her right sleeve. Noticing it for the first time, Diana saw that the insignia of the Zeta Ghostbusters was nothing more than a Rubik's Cube that was red on the sides and white at the top. The patch worked as both a decoration and a communication device linked to the Zetas' ship, much like the crew from Star Trek: The Next Generation. While Maryl-Lyn contacted someone on the ship by the name of "Nubia" and ordered them to be teleported there, Diana suddenly realized that Janine and Theresa had been absent from the firehouse throughout the entire scene.
"Hey, where are Janine and Theresa?"
J.G. appeared to be a little perturbed from her question. "Well, uh…we sent Janine home before the Zetas arrived here – we didn't want to risk giving her another scare after what Theresa did."
Diana raised a curious eyebrow. "'What Theresa did?' What exactly did she do?"
J.G. swapped troubled glances with Kim and Sean. Their apprehensive faces were soon engulfed by intense glows before everyone there in the firehouse garage had vanished.
