Church's Crusade #26: A devil on your shoulder
The small spectral face gazed up at Church with a look of undisguised hatred. At first glance it simply looked like a piece of light floating above Church's palm. However, when you looked more closely, small dark sparks could be seen, and once you saw that, the rest of the face seemed to resolve itself around them. Naturally, face colour was black, though at times it seemed to be surrounded by a nimbus of sooty red or dark purple mist. The entire effect was to make this manifestation of O'Mally seem to be more...the only word he could think of was demonic.
Well it fits thought Church. This…thing would use anyone, would do anything to achieve its goals of universal domination. Church smiled grimly, watching as the face seemed to draw its misty nimbus into itself and expand downwards to form a body, all the while registering the AI's failed attempts to gain some measure of control over the body it now inhabited. Church shook his head.
"You may as well give up O'Mally. You aren't going to win."
O'Mally kept fighting for several seconds more, but finally stopped, seeming to have resigned himself to being caught. Penny stared at Church with a look of awe on her face, "You're keeping him contained? How?"
Church shrugged, "Not sure exactly. I guess I just have more experience controlling bodies than O'Mally."
Penny looked confused, "How can that be right? He's been around since before you became a ghost."
Church smiled, "Time repeated Penny. Due to the time bomb accident I have existed for over one thousand years. Over and over and over again. So I'd say that I have a bit more experience than him."
Penny opened her mouth as if to say something, then stopped with a thoughtful look on her face. Church watched her for a moment then turned back to O'Mally, who was floating above his hand with a sullen look on his face, "Ahh, good. You've calmed down. So here is the deal. You are going to hang about in one part or another of my body and when we need you, you will help deal with some weapons. In return we don't delete you immediately and if, IF we can find a way to leave you somewhere where you won't be a danger to anyone, we might do that. Now, do you agree to the terms? Be warned that if you don't it doesn't matter because you will help us regardless."
O'Mally glared at Church for a moment before replying, "Well it appears you haven't left me much choice. I guess I will have to come with you. But if you don't mind I would like to make a few changes before you box me away again', he looked down, 'My current appearance is fine for a short period, but not for the long haul.
Church nodded, "Alright, just don't take too long."
O'Mally nodded, smiling in a condescending way, before closing his eyes. He seemed to ripple and waver for a moment, then the smoky texture of his body flowed upwards and into his eyes. As it left, his body started to change. Church, expecting to see the usual armour of an AI was surprised when the feet took on the form of highly polished black leather shoes. As the change spread upwards, O'Mally slowly became dressed in a black business suit with white shirt and black tie. He bent his head as a grey fedora hat appeared on his head. He reached up and pulled it off to reveal a grey haired, middle aged and strangely familiar face. As Church was trying to place it Anna spoke, 'Tell me, why have you chosen the face of George W. Bush?"
"I thought, considering how people view me here, that I should take on the image of the greatest evil the world has ever known."
"It certainly fits now that you mention it."
"However if this one makes you uncomfortable, there are other options." He twirled his fedora in front of his face. As the hat passed and his face came back into view Church gasped. It was as though he was looking into a mirror…of himself in the 1950s. His hair was slicked back and combed into an old style. He looked essentially like Church, except for one particular detail. His eyes were filled with the same dark coloured smoke that had previously comprised Omega's entire body. The effect when compared to the bright rainbow colours of Church's eyes, gave him a distinctly sinister look.
Church opened his mouth to comment on this most recent transformation, but before he could get the words out Penny spoke, "No, you can't use that face. It…it wouldn't be right."
O'Mally gave Penny a condescending look, "No, I think I enjoy the effect this face is having on you people. I think I'll keep it." He turned to look at everyone in the room, "So when are we leaving. Its been a while since I got to kill anybody…"
Within an hour everyone was packed and ready to leave. Penny raised her eyebrows when she saw the line of motorbikes outside the base. She turned and looked at Church, "And where did you get these, pray tell?"
Church chuckled, "We pulled them from the bottom of the rift and Paul patched them up. We figured we needed more vehicles so this is what we got. Plus they are the only ones that may have a chance of getting out of the canyon in one piece."
Penny looked at the bikes critically, "We're short by two bikes. We goin' to be riding double?"
Church smiled, "No. We found out that if Caboose gets on a bike he just drives around in circles until he gets dizzy and falls off or the gas runs out. So we're going to have him in the sidecar of Anna's bike."
"Alright, but that still leaves one person without a ride. What are we going to do, drag them behind us on a rope?"
"No, my ride hasn't been brought out yet."
"I take it from your tone that your 'ride' is something altogether different."
"You'll see. Here it comes now."
Penny watched Church's hover-bike move into position, then turned to look at him. Church was surprised for a moment as he saw the sunlight reflecting off of her hazel coloured eyes. She looked, he realised, very pretty.
--You like her, admit it.-- The words seemed to float to the surface in his mind. Church was startled.
O'Mally, is that you?
--Unless you have someone else knocking about up here I don't see how it could be anyone else.--
What do you want?
--You should admit it. You like her. I can tell.--
I don't know what you're talking about.
--Then you have obviously got a problem. You should know whether you like her or not. I mean come on, even I like her and I'm supposed to be incapable of feeling anything.--
Think what you want, just keep it to yourself. I have things to do.
--As you wish, of great leader.-- O'Mally's tone was mocking.
Penny was still watching him, a puzzled look on her face. Church realised that he had been staring openly at her for several seconds. He fumbled about for something to say, but Penny spoke first.
"Is something wrong? You have a strange look on your face."
Church shook his head, "Just O'Mally offering his opinions on the situation, nothing major."
"Huh. Well I guess we better get going." She wandered off towards one of the waiting bikes. As he watched her receding back he couldn't help thinking that perhaps O'Mally had been right…