by Greg Ballan
The Seelak advanced on the group of young children, its enhanced vision picking them out easily in the darkness. It took special notice of Brianna. It knew this young primate was an offspring of the hybrid it killed. It could sense the Esper within her very makeup. It would savor the life force of this child the best.
The creature ignored the shrieks of terror as it approached the children, savoring their fear like one would enjoy a fine meal. It grasped Brianna by the scruff of her neck and held the young girl in midair. It delighted as she screamed in absolute terror. The other children tried to flee, but stumbled over each other in the darkness. They wound up curling up into little balls, tucking their knees into their chins and crying loudly in abject terror.
It casually tossed the hybrid offspring aside and gathered another, each fragment of emotion strengthening it further. It carried off this victim to its companion. The large felinoid played with the child like a cat would play with a mouse – pawing at the boy, letting him fumble around freely in the darkness for a brief moment, then swatting with just enough force to knock him over, but not cause serious injury. The felinoid played with its victim for almost ten minutes before it carried it back to where the others were huddled. The felinoid then disappeared into the darkness.
Brianna had been crying nonstop for fifteen minutes. Her jeans were soaked when her bladder emptied from fright. The other child who had been taunted by the feline creature fared no better. All the children had lost control of their bladders and bowels at some point. They weren't bothered by the discomfort or smell. Little by little, they were going into shock.
"Daddy, where are you?" Brianna mumbled over and over as she rocked herself back and forth.
The other children mumbled the same mantra, praying their parents would show up and take them away from this nightmare.
Brianna heard footsteps crunching on the floor toward them. She knew something was coming again. "Daddy!" she screamed. "Daddy, please come get me, I wanna go home!"
Chapter 15
Saturday morning, 5:30 a.m.
Corporal Novacs leaned against the bumper of the ten-wheel transport, sipping his second cup of coffee while the lieutenant droned on incessantly. He hated this part of any mission, the beginning – too much talk of planning and contingencies, the administrative things officers enjoyed doing, not the non-coms. If every officer had their way, there would be forms in triplicate for simply going to the bathroom.
He looked over at his sergeant. The man gave him a brief roll of his eyes, to which Novacs grinned quickly. He knew that the sergeant felt the same way.
The sergeant was in his late fifties, with silvery gray hair and eyes to match. He was one of the few men which everyone in Fox Company held in the deepest respect. It wasn't the respect born of fear, but a respect developed from a man who wasn't afraid of getting his hands dirty with the troops. The sergeant never shied away from any task, and would never order one of his men to do something that he would not or had not done himself.
After what seemed like hours, the lieutenant completed his briefing and walked off with the local politicians. The enlisted men, some 200 fully armed combat soldiers, gathered around the sergeant. There would be no daydreaming during this ops briefing. The sergeant was quick, blunt, and to the point.
"Okay, soldiers, we have an unusual job to do. We're hunting some sort of creatures that have already killed several police officers, military personnel, and civilians. The one man who seemed to know the most about these things is in intensive care right now, probably already dead, from what we were told of his condition," he began solemnly. "These things have taken four children. We're going to take them back. Is that clear, soldiers?"
"Clear, Sergeant!" came the unified response of nearly 200 voices.
"These bastards can pop in and out like some kind of ghosts, so everyone needs to watch everybody else's ass. We're going to divide into groups of ten men and all converge on the mountain at different points. Two men on each team; the point and the rear will be issued IR gear and starlight lenses in case we get caught in the darkness. They'll tell you where and when to shoot. I suggest you follow their advice closely.
"Our objective will be to cover designated swatches of ground until we converge at the uppermost point. We've got a hell of a lot of wooded ground to cover. Some of it probably hasn't seen the footprint of a man in hundreds of years. It will take us most of the day to get to our designated target area. It's my belief that we'll encounter our adversaries long before we even get close to our mission objective. Everyone, I want radio checks every ten minutes." He paused, staring at the map of Hopedale Mountain taped to the hood of their truck. Several convergence points were highlighted, along with the areas of creature activity. "There's something up there, somewhere, and I intend to find it within the next two days. You all have your assignments. Those teams accessing the woods via the lake, get to your boats. Land teams, organize your equipment and let's hit the woods. These children have been gone for almost an entire day. I want them back before nightfall. Are we clear on this, people?"
"Yes, sir," the two hundred voices replied in unison.
The soldiers broke into their smaller units and began deploying into the parklands. Those squads that were crossing the nearly two-mile-wide Hopedale Lake by motor boat would have a significant lead on the other teams that were ground-bound. The military entrance into the woodlands looked like a massive ground assault. In all the town history of Hopedale, such an event had never occurred.
The Town Fathers and several local legislators from the district were on hand to monitor the proceedings. The politicians were only there for the face time in the press, serving their own political self-interests. They had no real interest in offering any leadership to the community nor comfort for the families affected by the current tragedies. The major in charge of the operation was reluctant to give too many details to them, or be anywhere near their presence unless it was absolutely necessary. He stood in the shadows as each politician gave interviews to radio and television personalities covering the operation. He smirked to himself as each politician lied blatantly as to their involvement with mission planning and coordination.
"Typical low-brow politicians," he mumbled to the captain who was next to him. "They aren't even qualified to pump gas, let alone represent people. Why do we keep electing jackasses into public office?"
"Probably because only an incompetent jackass would want the job," the captain whispered.
The major looked over at him and suddenly burst out laughing. "A point well spoken, Mr. Anderson." He slapped the man on his shoulder. "C'mon, let's get a cup of coffee. It's going to be a long day."
* * *
Corporal Novacs paused, swatting at a swarm of persistent gnats buzzing around his head like a floating black cloud. His team had been hiking toward the outer trail markers for almost an hour.
"I think these things like the repellent," he swore as he continued waving the insects away.
He took a brief look at his topographic map to get a quick lay of the land. The land inside the parklands was relatively easy hiking – several well-beaten paths in ever-expanding circular patterns around the large lake. However, the outlying woodlands were a much different story. The altitude lines on his map ran in several crazy directions and very close together beyond the park. This was a clear indication that he would be doing some fairly heavy incline hiking later on in the day as they left the outskirts of the park. Novacs reported his observations to the team leader who was busy radioing their position and location to the base coordinators at the roadside Command-and-Control center.
"There's no way in hell we can cover sixty-plus square miles of woodlands in one search," Novacs grumbled to the private walking next to him. "Let alone one day."
"Hey, man," the private replied, "I just work here." The soldier paused then asked a question that was probably on everyone's mind. "Hey, Novie, what d'ya think is really out here, man?"
Novacs shook his he
ad. "I really don't know, Sparks, you know as much as me on this one, bro'. We seem to be hired on as exterminators for some really big-ass roaches or something. Just keep your eyes open, though. The sergeant thinks we'll see these buggers as soon as we leave the parklands. Based on this map, and at our present rate of terrain cover, that should be in about fifteen minutes."
* * *
Saturday afternoon, 1:00 p.m.
The traffic in the Critical Care Unit had been exceptionally heavy during the night and deep into the morning hours. Something was happening to a patient that defied medical science. Several doctors and surgeons had been called in to study the phenomenon, but no one had been able to come up with a satisfactory explanation as to what was happening inside the body of Erik Knight.
"This is impossible!" the doctor swore as he checked his patient's vital signs again.
Erik Knight's body was remarkably different than when he was wheeled into the Critical Care Unit. The multitude of deep lacerations and bruises were nearly invisible, leaving behind surgical staples embedded in healthy tissue. The deep flesh tears upon his torso were little more than light pink scars, hardly noticeable against his flesh tones. It was as if someone had performed complete cosmetic surgery on his frontal facial structure. Where there once was a shattered mass of broken cartilage now resided a totally reconstructed nose and nasal passages.
Erik's unconscious body had been wheeled to x-ray when his monitoring equipment registered increased vital signs throughout the night and early-morning hours. Doctors watched in amazement as his once battered and broken body mysteriously mended itself.
"I don't know where to begin," the doctor said as he addressed Shanda and Alissa. "His bones are totally knitted, his heart's been beating on its own for nearly four hours, and his ribs magically fused and reformed," he recited in total disbelief. "And not only that, his lungs look like they've never ever been cut. We can't even find any lingering scar tissue that would indicate any trauma to the area, or in any vital area." The doctor glared down at his notebook. "His vitals are all different now. His heart is beating stronger and his tissues and skeletal structure seem to be thicker, stronger. The bone mass readings we took have to be wrong. Nobody has a bone density this hard. It's as if his skeleton were made of iron, not bone. This is the most bizarre thing I've ever come across."
"You're saying he's going to make it?" Shanda asked, getting her hopes up.
"Yes, we're going to want to keep him here to run some extensive metabolic tests and tissue studies to understand what's happening, but he's well on the road to a complete recovery," the baffled physician answered. "But not from anything we did. What happened to this man defies any medical phenomenon we know of. By all rights, Erik Knight should be dead." The doctor shook his head and left the room.
Shanda looked over at Alissa whose face seemed to reflect genuine confusion. "What's wrong?"
"He's healing much quicker than I expected, faster than a normal man."
"That's because he's not exactly normal, we both know that, but he has abilities even you don't suspect," Shanda boasted.
"I don't understand," Alissa replied.
"His body can already generate enhanced bursts of strength, his senses are far keener than any man's, and his fighting abilities are almost supernatural."
"How do you know this for sure?" she asked.
"I felt it in our link. I experienced all his gifts firsthand. I saw him fight at the park. He's already above normal. Why didn't you expect that? I thought you had all the knowledge of these people?" Shanda challenged.
"I have no answer, perhaps the virus did more than the Espers intended, possibly. There was no time to actually test their creations," Alissa replied somewhat defensively. "I never claimed to have all the knowledge of these people, just the task I needed to perform and some rudimentary skills, such as the potion we used earlier. Our minds could never hold the knowledge of that race. We haven't evolved to that point. That much, I'm sure of," she added.
"I'm sorry, I'm not accusing you," Shanda said in a much softer tone. "I guess I'm just nervous. It's just all so much to comprehend."
"I understand, sister." Alissa reached out and took her hand. Both women watched and waited in silence as more minutes ticked past.
Several minutes later, Erik began to stir. His eyelids fluttered then opened. He tried to move, but was restrained by the casts upon his arm and leg, as well as several tubes and monitors placed in and on his body. Erik struggled, battling the disorientation.
"Erik! Easy, you're in the hospital." Shanda placed her hand on his to lightly restrain and reassure him.
He tried to speak, but the wrapping around his skull prevented him from moving his jaw. His eyes seemed to come in and out of focus. Shanda could read the confusion and concern on his face as he slowly became aware of his surroundings.
She picked up on a great wave of grief and fear so strong that she was nearly overwhelmed by it. She looked down at him and saw his eyes were filled with tears. He remembered: His daughter had been taken. He remembered the events that brought him to this place. She had known Erik for many years, and had never seen such a look of total and complete despair on his face as resided there now. She gently laid her hand upon his head, caressing him. He looked up and groaned, a sound of endless agonizing torture.
"I know, my love, I know. We'll get her back. There are so many things you need to know before you can do that, so many things we never knew before," she whispered while drying the tears flowing down his cheeks like two rivers.
Alissa walked over to Erik's bedside. She gently placed two fingers upon his left temple. "He is much better now. The elixir has done its work. His body is much stronger. It will be able to withstand the changes it will undergo. His human form, as it was, would not have survived."
"Just what are you talking about?" Shanda asked, looking away from Erik.
"His normal human biology would not have allowed him to survive the mutation caused by the Sentient Staff. The staff will change him, make his Esper more predominant. As a mere human, though very strong, he would not have survived the transition. The elixir not only healed his torn flesh, but also enhanced him as it was designed. He is now more than he was, but not nearly what he will become – what he has to become in order to defeat both creatures." Alissa looked at Shanda with confusion. "You still don't understand, do you? Both those beasts are now at the height of their power. The armored Seelak is many times stronger than it was before. Erik fought it while it was at its weakest. It has gathered food and has no doubt already fed. As he is now, even with the enhancements the elixir has given him, he would be no match for one creature, let alone two."
Shanda suddenly became enraged. "You, you son of a…" she stammered. "You don't care a thing about him, or who he is. You only care about creating some sort of mutant Frankenstein's monster. I love him, and I won't see him hurt any further," she added in a voice filled with venom.
"You have a right to be angry, Shanda, but deep down you know this must be done. You have seen the truth. How can you be so stubborn after all that you have been shown? Erik must become what he must become. Neither my feelings nor your feelings have any part in this. Those creatures must be destroyed!" she added forcefully. "Not entombed or captured, but destroyed. Humankind does not have the capability to do so without tremendous collateral damage. Even if they detonated a nuclear device on that hill, the creatures would sense the threat and disappear through Netherspace, only to appear somewhere else and start the cycle over again. They must be contained here, now, while there's still time, before they can reproduce themselves." She walked closer to Erik and looked down at him. "And he is the one who must do it," she whispered, taking Erik's hand in an almost affectionate gesture.
Shanda knew the young girl was right. Despite her anger and frustration, she knew Alissa was telling her the truth, as far as she knew it. Shanda also knew, from her own latent abilities, there was more – something Alissa didn't know, that was yet to
play out. She wasn't going to give up on Erik just yet. "You're right, and he'll change willingly, if only to get his daughter back." She walked over to his bedside.
Alissa looked directly into Erik's tear-filled eyes. "I know you feel sadness at the taking of your daughter. Do you want her back?"
Erik nodded his head.
"The doctors will try and keep you here. Will you allow that?"
He shook his head.
"You now have the strength to free yourself from the plaster restraints. Use that strength now, call upon it. This is your first test," Alissa prodded.
Erik glanced over at his right arm which was completely covered in a heavy plaster cast. His eyes narrowed, and the arm began to tremble slightly. Shanda saw the muscles in his shoulder bunch and contract as they worked in rhythm with his arm. There was a sudden loud crack as the cast began to splinter and crack. Erik's arm tore free of the plaster restraint, sending fragments of the cast all over the bed and floor. He flexed his leg muscles and easily shattered the cast on his left leg as well. He then took both hands and grasped the layers of bandages and plastic bracing wrapped around his head and jaw. With a small effort, he tore the material from his skull and tossed it to the floor. He slowly sat up on the bed and brushed the long stray locks of hair from his unshaven face. He wiped his eyes quickly and looked at Shanda.
"How?" he whispered. "I should be dead, or at least crippled after what those things did. How is it that I'm alive?"
"It's a long story, Erik," Shanda began. "Let me tell it to you the way I was told." Shanda reached for his hand. She gently touched the side of his head with her other hand. "My love," she whispered, "we were truly made for each other."
Their minds touched, and Erik relived the last days of the Espers and Seelak. He saw all that Alissa had shown Shanda, and shared Shanda's astonishment. Erik gasped in amazement as the two enhanced their link.
