VERALYN 2

After I woke up, I knew everything had changed. We were no longer the children of renowned intellect, and wealth. We were now Guinea pigs waiting for our next meal. We were obsessing about the future without the power to change it. While Booker was thinking about how to beat the parasite, I was thinking of how to escape our box. I saw into the lives of our parents and the rest of our species. They were hard at work repairing the cruisers, since their rebirth lead to the cruisers’ destruction. I knew that our secrecy was paramount to these men, and as much as I wanted to escape I knew not how nor what I would do afterwards. Now it was my turn to do as my brother had done before.

I was used to learning fast. That was my gift you might say, however, this was completely different. Instead of learning a whole new language over months and years, I caught up to Booker in weeks. He gave me lessons when we had our exercise time in a giant bunker. He did give me a few tips here and there, but I’m telling you something’s different. Booker did say that we are connected to the hive mind, but he did not experience this massive acceleration in learning speed.

“I think that the parasite is actually much more complex than previously thought. Instead of it affecting a species one way, and one way only, I believe it now has evolved to go to individual genes, and mutate them at will.” I said to Booker. We were out in the bunker.

“It would explain a few things.” Booker said. I wondered what he meant. “Come jog with me.” Booker motioned.

He knew that I never ran. Booker didn’t wait for an answer, he took off running to the other side, and Booker was outpacing Agent Pikman by five or six times, all without even breaking a sweat. That’s when I noticed that we was still the same size in my vision, even though he was five hundred feet away.

I am now a full year into my stay here on planet earth and part of me is scared, while I’m learning more about these humans, they seem like a violent and hungry species. Booker has given them the technology required to travel the stars and I’m not sure if they’re ready for it. I have been postponed teaching them our species advances in weaponry. While we will need it to fight the parasite, I am afraid of giving humans this kind of power. I am constantly arguing with the Presidents of each nation, on why we need to focus on the construction of our own carriers, so we can attempt to save the human race. They do not understand what we face.

Booker has only scratched the surface of the parasite, he hasn’t told them of the Mother. The Mother is the first entity that the parasite infected and also the largest. She is the largest entity in the known universe, hundreds of times larger than the largest stars. Her pawns destroy everything in their paths. The parasite is coming, but the humans would not to be able to tell for centuries. As the light from their Milky Way galaxy starts to disappear, only then would they understand what was about to happen.

Booker and I have now been captives, lab rats, and teachers for two years. In that time the humans still refuse to believe, of ALL the things we have told them, that a parasite can live in space. They believe we are infected, but not that it can spread, nor that it is hunting them down. They are intent on keeping us locked up and secret. We have other plans.

“Okay. Okay. Okay. Let’s go through the plan one more time Booker.” I pleaded.

“Why? It’s not like they can stop us.” Booker was used to living in my shadow, but this felt different.

He was brooding, I think he was hoping to finally be the one mom and dad would be proud of. What he doesn’t already know though is that he is the reason we’ve made it this far. He’s made more progress with another species than any Snamuh from Thrae had achieved since our existence began, more than one hundred thousand years ago. Still, he insists on being moody because he’s not the prized pig anymore.

“Because we are about to break out of a military instillation in who knows where on an UNKNOWN planet!? If we have any chance of actually helping these people we have to do this right.” I got a little more heated than I should have, because Booker started walking away. I was about to call out to him when he blurted,

“We’re connected remember? I know what you’re seeing, hearing, thinking. Don’t worry, I won’t mess it up and we start as soon as they go lights out.” He kept walking towards the main building where we stayed, and that’s when the sirens rang out.

It was only the second time I had heard it. The first time was because of a fire in the kitchen…I was learning to cook okay? The second was also a fire in the kitchen…I don’t cook anymore. Since I wasn’t in the kitchen and Booker wasn’t either, it must have been for something else. We both ran inside and waited around the elevator that led to the outside world. It took its time descending, truth be told I didn’t know far down we were. I couldn’t see the top when I looked up.

“What do you think this is about Booker?” I asked.

“Well, the first year I was here I heard a siren similar to this one but they never said what happened. The elevator activated but didn’t come all the way down here. At the time it’s where I thought they were keeping you.” At that point the elevator stopped moving. It was stopped about one hundred feet above us. “I haven’t really tried jumping yet. You think I could make it up there?” Booker asked while looking up at the elevator.

“No, there’s no space on the sides to fit through.” I said. Booker never was a good listener.

“I wasn’t planning on going on the side.” He said, already in the air. To his surprise it was at that moment the elevator started to descend. “I’ve never had to use the brakes on this before! He cried, flying through the air. What an idiot. He slammed against the bottom of the elevator. It echoed all the way up and down the elevator shaft. Good job Booker! I thought to myself, now I know we are about three hundred feet below ground. He fell to the ground gracefully, considering how he started his fall.

I helped him up and teased, “So was that the plan or was that practice?” He glared at me. He was dusting off his pants, about to tell me to jump into a volcano. Instead, the elevator opened and outstepped a man who they called The Director.

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you two, I am The Director. However, you two may call me Jason.” He extended his hand out and we took turns shaking it. Looking at me he said, “Now Veralyn, it is Veralyn correct?” I nodded. He continued, “Good, I hear you are the more advanced of you two as far as our language, correct?”

“I am. However, my brother Booker was the first one here-“ I said before being cut off by Jason.

“I don’t care about experience I need speaking skills.” He barked.

“Why?” I questioned.

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Jason sighed, looked down at the ground and said, “We have another snamuhian pod incoming. We spotted it orbiting Jupiter, using it like a gravity slingshot. It will land in approximately two days.”

“You going to shoot down this one as well?” Booker snapped.

“Actually no, I was going to go send you two as a welcoming party.” Jason said smiling. “Now I know we haven’t let you outside in the last two years, but now we feel like it’s a better time to announce your arrival to the public. Thanks to your efforts, Earth as a whole has improved. You have given us terraforming technology, to transform the planet into an oasis for life. Your advancements in farming technology has eliminated famine, and hunger across the world. Lastly, from studying the two of you, we have synthesized a parasite that should counter act the one living in you.” He finished.

“So like a cure?” I asked.

“Think of it more like a vaccine. Exposing the public to this specimen might help in the survival of the human species.” Jason said.

“This isn’t just about humans anymore Jason. It never was.” Booker said through gritted teeth.

“Jason,” I started saying. “You don’t understand and you must if you are to prepare your people effectively.” Booker knew what I was thinking and yelled,

“No! No! No! Veralyn! You don’t have to, there is one already. Can’t you see him?” My eyes rolled in the back of my head as I began searching the hive mind for any human presence. After a moment I saw him, his connection was weak. He was laying on a hospital bed much like the one I woke up in. One of his arms were missing. He was wrapped up in gauze. When I was about to leave his mind he woke up. Screaming he looked down to where his arm used to be. That is when something interesting happened. His arm grew back.

I rolled my eyes back to where they are supposed to be and said to Jason, “Jason the man that Booker bit, he’s infected!” Jason looked at Booker like he was saying “really?”

“Veralyn, we know. We’ve been watching his condition since it began.” Booker told me.

“Oh. Well any other symptoms?” I asked.

“Not yet, he’s been in a coma since the day Booker bit him. We had to medically induce it.” Jason stated.

“That’s not completely true.” I said. “He just woke up and his arm grew back.”

“That’s not possible I would have been notified.” Jason said as his pocket started to ring. He picked up his phone and spoke into it. “Yes I heard. Quarantine him. I’ll be there shortly.” He hung up and said, “Would you look at that. Mr. Garrett has woken up and has some questions. I’ll be back later. We aren’t done talking.” He stepped back into the elevator and pushed a button. The elevator rose back to where it was previously.

“What else do you think they’ve neglected to tell us?” I asked Booker. He put it off with a shrug. “Booker, look at me.” He turned his head. “What’s wrong?”

He had tears in his eyes as he cried out, “EVERYTHING! Everything is wrong, you know what this means don’t you? It has begun. Now horde after horde of that scourge will pour onto this planet, destroying everything it touches.” He collapsed, still sobbing he choked out, “It was our job to stop it. OUR JOB. And we failed to get the humans to listen.”

“You’re right Booker. We weren’t able to stop the parasite from getting to earth. You know what we haven’t even tried yet though? We haven’t tried to talk to the humans Booker, we have been talking to the elites. We need to take our message to the masses.”

“Well our only way up is that elevator.” Booker said. “The only way we are getting out of here is if we take the deal to go investigate the pod.” I knew he was right, however I didn’t like the look Jason had on his face when he mentioned the welcoming party.

Hours passed before Jason returned. “Are you two ready?” He asked smiling. “Today you two leave this place and finally answer the question humanity has been asking for millennia. ‘Are we alone in the universe?’ Today you usher in a new age.”

“Yes.” Booker and I answered in monotone unison.

“Good. Then please follow me.” Jason gestured to the elevator. We walked inside and began the ascent.

“What’s on this level?” asked Booker as we passed the level where we had seen the elevator earlier.

“That is our hospital unit.” Jason replied. “In the field of extraterrestrial containment people tend to get hurt. Badly.” There was some weird noise in the background.

“What is that noise?” I asked.

Jason looked confused before responding, “It’s called music. Are you telling me they never put any music on for you two?” We shook our heads. “For Pete’s sake no wonder you guys look like you want to escape. You must be so bored down here. I’ll see what I can do about that when we get back. You will have a new roommate as well.” When we get back? I thought to myself. I was starting to see that Jason loved to hear himself talk. “If you were curious, this level is where our testing for our hybrid technologies takes place. You two will be responsible for a near elimination for the need of fossil fuels. As well as completely transforming our understanding of physics.” We were finally nearing the top. “Careful when you first go outside the sun is bright today.”

I don’t know how I would explain that first step back into sunlight after being deprived of it for years. After absorbing enough radiation from its rays Booker and I returned to our normal size. While we were contained we shrank down to about six feet. Minutes after our release we towered over our captors reaching fifteen feet tall a piece. Finally we were us again.

Jason nearly wet himself at the sight, “You weren’t this big when we found you!”

“I don’t care, blame the parasite!” Booker yelled as he launched himself into the air. Reaching the climax of his jump he yelled down, “How high Veralyn?”

“Just under five hundred feet!” I screamed. It was incredible! The highest high jump our species had ever achieved was three hundred feet. Booker landed with a thud.

“Now that was fun.” Booker laughed. His eyes rolled back in his head and he quickly turned to face me. “I sense the power in you, child. Even if you do not. When the time comes do what is right.” Following this outburst Booker collapsed.

As he came to I started asking, “Are you okay?”, “Who was that?” and “Do you remember anything?” Before I could ask anymore he put his hand up. He looked up and locked eyes with mine. I saw into his mind and felt the fear and doubt soaking into his brain. The Mother.

Jason was the first one to speak, “What the hell just happened?” I wanted to answer but the truth is I couldn’t. I had no idea what that was about. All I knew is that The Mother knew we were alive and that expected me to make a choice. “Booker what did you say?” Jason asked, his eyes frantic. Booker was still lost in his mind unable to move let alone talk.

“Booker,” I started in our natural tongue, “Booker tell me what you saw.” He looked at me eyes full of tears. I saw into his mind and that’s when The Mother actually spoke to me.

“Yes. Veralyn of the snamuhian race, former home-world of Thrae. You interest me child. You are capable of so much more than you think. Your future is still uncertain though. So many choices still left to make. This has a fun first impression. Ta Ta for now.” I felt this evil energy leave Booker. Returning to my mind I “awoke” to find Booker giving me the biggest bear hug.

“Veralyn. You can’t do it. You just can’t.” Booker was still on the verge of tears. He switched to Snamuhian. “She showed me what she wants you to do. She wants you to infect all of the humans.” My eyes widened. “That is your choice Veralyn.” Booker continued, “Do you spare the human race or lead them yourself?” While I couldn’t help but think of leading a seven billion strong army, I knew that this was only to serve her.

“Guys. Guys. GUYS!” Jason was yelling at us. Dazed, Booker and I looked back at him before he tapped his watch and said, “Remember we have a job to do?” Booker and I got up slowly.

“So where are we launching from Jason?” I asked. With our new size Jason was getting more and more uneasy. Looking at his feet he answered back,

“Well we built this craft based on your old proportions. So right now we aren’t launching from anywhere.” “We also can’t risk the public seeing you like this. It would incite panic.” An immediate sense of danger fell over me. I told Booker to run. He was gone before they had a chance. The last thing I saw before I was knocked out was his big purple body leaping across the desert. I wondered how long it would be before I saw my brother before me again.

When I awoke Agent Pikman was standing in front of me. “Booker got to know Agent Pikman very well, I hope you two get just as close.” Jason said. “You better hope we find Booker before anyone else does. We are much friendlier than anyone else he could find.” Jason added. That night before I went to bed I tried to find Booker. When I finally did find him he was back to human size walking along the side of the road. If there was anything I learned about Booker over the last year, it would be that he would be okay. Not to mention I could check up whenever I wanted. Badly beaten, both physically and mentally I drifted off to sleep.