Rise of the Fallen: Ascensionis

by Danny R Negron

  Indrid's ship rises above the clouds and remains hovering in a stationary position. Inside, Sajjad is observing the highly advanced technology with the curiosity of a child exploring a toy store.

  “This craft is not of Earth.”

  Indrid stands up and while walking towards him says, “Correct.”

  Dr. Frankenstein explains to him, “This ship is from Indrid Cold's home world, Sajjad. At the present moment, we must wait for Henry to complete his investigation of the Bohemian Club meeting.”

  Sajjad understands and nods in agreement. He then shakes Indrid's hand and says, “Thank you for assisting us. I always knew that we were not alone in this vast universe.”

  Indrid grins and replies, “Those worlds in space are as countless as all the grains of sand on all the beaches of the earth.”

  Dr. Frankenstein recognizes the quote and says, “Carl Sagan. Journeys in Space and Time.”

  All of a sudden, his phone rings and he sees that it is David calling him. He quickly answers the call.

  “David?”

  “Ludwig! I woke up and can't find Alexandria anywhere! She might have went by herself to the Statue of Liberty!”

  “Damn it, girl. You will be the death of me. I'll go and get her. Thank you, David.”

  As soon as he hangs up, Indrid knows right away what must be done and walks toward the cockpit. The ship's engines hum and it disappears into the horizon in a blindingly fast speed.

  Joshua asks Alexandria while driving, “Where are you heading?”

  Alexandria has lost track of the time. She looks at her watch and replies, “The Statue of Liberty. It's too late, though. It must be crowded by now.”

  “Oh, ye of little faith. You're about to witness one of the perks of being a Garrison.”

  The pickup truck arrives at the parking area of the StarSun office building. Joshua shifts into reverse and skillfully maneuvers the vehicle into the empty space. He turns off the engine and takes a moment to admire Alexandria's gorgeous aquamarine eyes. After a minute passes, he clears his throat and says, “Okay. This is it.” They both open the doors and exit the Silverado.

  Moments later, Joshua opens a door and Alexandria steps through. She marvels at the sight in front of her as she walks across the top of the StarSun office building. Joshua arrives next to her and says, “Awesome view, huh?” Alexandria screams, “Yeah!” as she looks over the edge at the city bustling with activity below. She gets startled by the sensation of Joshua's hand touching hers. Joshua stares into her eyes and says seriously, “We have met before. Haven't we?”

  Alexandria opens her mouth but not a sound comes out. She decides that she can no longer hide the truth from this nice guy and replies, “Ummm...”

  Suddenly, the thundering sounds of helicopter blades interrupts her and she immediately wraps her arms around him out of fear. Joshua says in her ear, “Come with me. I want to introduce you to the pilot.”

  Alexandria turns around and is taken aback by the huge flying machine above her. Joshua yells, “It's a Huey!”

  A soldier tosses out a rope ladder and motions to the couple to climb up. Joshua places both of his hands on her thighs and raises her with ease. She grabs onto the ladder and begins climbing up. The young soldier takes her hand and pulls her on board...soon followed by Joshua. A deep gravelly voice coming from the cockpit is heard yelling, “Josh! You got some explaining to do!”

  Joshua steps inside the cockpit of the Huey and tells the pilot, “Sorry, Grandpa. I'll make it up to you.”

  Frank Garrison grins at his grandson and notices the young girl standing next to him. He can't help but be mesmerized by her aquamarine irises. Joshua introduces her to him by saying, “This is Alexandria. Alexandria...this is my grandfather. GA Frank Garrison.”

  Frank shakes her hand and says, “Retired GA Frank Garrison. It's a pleasure to meet you, young lady. Well? Aren't we going to the Statue of Liberty? Take a seat and enjoy the view.”

  Alexandria sits down next to Joshua and the soldier assists her with her seat belt. The helicopter departs from the tall building and flies off into the direction of Liberty Island.

  Henry watches the man in the red robe sit down on a carved redwood throne. Another man dressed in a brown robe appears and hits the floor three times with his wooden staff. A white robed man is seen standing next to the red robed man and asks in a very loud tone, “Who knocks?”

  The man in the brown robe replies, “A stranger who is desirous of becoming a member of our Venerable Order.”

  The man in the white robe lowers his head next to the man in the red robe and says, “A stranger is without who desires to become a member of our Order.”

  The man in the red robe asks authoritatively, “Has she been duly proposed, seconded, and accepted?”

  The man in the brown robe replies, “Yes, Worthy Arch.”

  “Admit the candidate.”

  Diana Garrison appears from the left and is being led by the arm to where the Worthy Arch is sitting. She is wearing a blindfold with a dark green robe. She gets touched on her shoulders which results in her kneeling down and placing her hands on her lap. The man in the white robe tells her, “Attend well to the instructions you are about to receive.”

  The Arch explains to her, “What is required of you is a Declaration that you are desirous of becoming a Subscribing Brother of the Order, that you are willing to preserve its signs and secrets, to conform to all the Laws and Regulations now subsisting, or hereafter to be made for the proper governance and direction of the Society; and that, by your conduct, you will never seek to degrade or injure the Brotherhood. Are you willing to make such declaration?”

  Diana replies, “I am.”

  “Worthy Secretary, she may now receive the Obligation.”

  The man in the white robe, the Secretary, says, “Place your right hand on your left breast, and repeat after me the following solemn Obligation: “I pledge myself before the Brethren now assembled by my faith and honor and my hopes of credit and respect from the Order to which I have voluntarily sought an introduction that I will, at all times, pay due obedience to the Laws and Rules of the Society and that I will never disclose or be the means of making known the signs secrets or proceedings of the Order of the Bohemians which may now or hereafter be entrusted to me.””

  After Diana finishes repeating the Obligation, the Arch says to the Secretary, “Unbind the Candidate’s eyes.”

  He then removes Diana's blindfold as requested. The Arch taps the floor with his staff three times. He continues by saying, “Confiding in your integrity and honor, we have admitted you a Member of this Order; and I trust your conduct will reflect credit on the Society and promote the prosperity of our ancient Institution. We seek to be irreproachable in our own demeanor, and we consider it our duty to guard against the admission of the unworthy and unprincipled. We trust that, in adding your name to the roll of our members, we shall acquire accession to our strength and add luster to our Venerable Order. You will be granted permission to attend our annual meetings, provided you can do so without interfering with the claims of your family or your business arrangements.”

  The Arch rises to his feet and hits the floor with his staff. He shouts loudly, “Bohemians, I declare this initiation duly closed! Midsummer sets us free!”

  After several minutes of cheering and clapping, everyone disperses to their respective camps. Henry tries his very best to not lose sight of Diana and follows her while avoiding contact with the Bohemians around him. She enters a camp of Bohemian Grove referred to as Uplifters. This camp is designated to corporate executives and important individuals involved with big business.

  Barbara is sitting down and leaning her back against a tall tree. She has gotten so bored that she is aiming her Springfield XD 9mm at a squirrel several feet above her. She asks while imitating Dirty Harry, “Do you feel lucky, punk?”

  Henry's voice is heard calling her in a low whisper. “Barbara.”

  “I'm here. What'
s up?”

  “This shit is straight out of a J.R.R. Tolkien book. Diana just got initiated and now I'm about to enter her camp.”

  “Be careful.”

  Henry lowers his wrist and carefully walks toward the camp of the Uplifters. He can hear those sharing stories about their children and telling each other dirty jokes. Diana emerges from the enormous tent accompanied by retired CEO of StarSun, Theodore Reubens and another gentleman that Henry does not recognize. They all sit down on a wooden bench while firmly holding their mugs filled to the brim with icy cold beer. The gentleman raises his mug and says, “Welcome to the Order, sister Garrison.”

  “Thank you, brother Jacobson.”

  Of course! Zachary Jacobson! He's the CEO of Halo Security. Makers of the widely used Halo Internet Security Suite for personal computers and smart-phones.

  “I am aware that we are not to discuss matters of business here, but I feel honored that you have taken my advice.”

  Theodore nervously takes a sip of beer and asks, “Are you sure there is no danger involved, Zachary?”

  “As long as sister Garrison follows the Hegelian Dialectic to the letter, brother Reubens, there is no risk involved whatsoever.”

  Diana explains by saying, “Problem-Reaction-Solution.”

  Zachary raises his mug and says, “Just this morning, one of our hackers wrote some nasty code and is in process of releasing it to the masses. We'll eventually add it to our virus definition database. The average user feels protected and we have him hooked.”

  Henry is completely shocked at what he has just heard come from the mouth of one of the world's most highly respected businessmen. Hell...Halo Security was close to the very top of the Fortune 500 list last year! Satisfied with the information that he has gathered, he begins walking backwards. He bumps into one of the Grovers and the loud thump of a body hitting the ground is heard shortly followed by the shatter of a beer mug as it impacts a nearby tree. Henry turns around to see the same man that he saw earlier running naked into the woods. The surrounding Bohemians explode into laughter and the man quickly stands up in a desperate attempt to locate the individual that knocked him down only to find that there is no one in close proximity.

  “What the fuck? Who the hell did that so I can rip your balls off?”

  Henry does not waste any time and runs as fast as he can toward the entrance of the Bohemian Grove. Diana notices footprints being made on the dirt by an invisible force but does not say anything. Instead, her lips form a sinister grin and she takes a sip of her beer.

  Meanwhile, Alexandria becomes overwhelmed with a feeling of wonderment as the Statue of Liberty comes into view. At this point, it begins raining heavily. Joshua says, “You didn't answer my question earlier.”

  Her expression becomes serious as she gazes into his eyes. She admits to him, “We have met before, Josh.”

  He tries to remember but cannot find that particular memory. She advises, “It's no use trying to remember details. I'm curious as to how you remember my perfume.”

  This makes him feel uncomfortable and changes the subject by saying, “Uh, there she is. Lady Liberty.”

  Just as Alexandria is about to take a picture, her phone begins to ring. She sees that the person calling is her father and answers the call.

  “Hello? Dad?”

  Her father is heard screaming, “Alexandria! What is the meaning of this? Do you realize that it is raining, young lady?”

  She becomes embarrassed and replies in a low tone, “Do you mind not yelling at me? I'm with a friend. Just give me an hour.”

  “I will give you thirty minutes!”

  She shouts, “Fine! Bye.” and disconnects the call. Joshua feels extremely guilty over the fact that he may have gotten her in deep trouble with her father.

  “Your father didn't sound too pleased.”

  “Don't worry about it, Josh. But I think I'm gonna need to head back home.”

  “Yeah, sure. Let me go and tell my granddad.”

  Alexandria watches Joshua walk toward the cockpit and can't help but admire his physique. The way his firm buttocks fit perfectly in his jeans makes her fantasize what it would feel like to be in his arms to have the opportunity of squeezing him there with her hands. He sits back down next to her and gives her a warm grin.

  “It's all set, Alexandria. We're going back to StarSun and I'll drive you home from there.”

  She nods and takes one final glance at the Statue of Liberty. She uses her phone to take a picture and feels the rain drops hit her face. Much to her delight, the second skin has shielded her from the water thus preventing the lower half of her body from changing. The Huey helicopter's long blades are heard slicing the wind as it makes its way toward the StarSun office building.

  Miles away, Henry arrives at the main entrance of Bohemian Grove and is completely out of breath. He is grateful to see that the guards have not been alerted to his presence and slowly climbs over the black gate. His feet gently touch the ground and he proceeds to take very careful steps until he is in a safe distance in order to run down Bohemian Avenue as fast as possible.

  Barbara is still leaning against the tree while gazing at her artificial hands. She is fascinated with the fact that she can feel the slightest sensations with Dr. Frankenstein's cybernetic implants. From the tickle of a feather to the sharp pain of a needle. As she glides her finger across her palm, she hears Henry say, “The doc nailed it, Barbara. Greedy bastards.”

  She rises to her feet and replies, “Shit. Are you on your way back?”

  Barbara activates her thermal imaging sensor and sees the body heat of a person running towards her. “Never mind. I see you.”

  Henry materializes in front of her and rests his hands on his knees while gasping for air. She places her hand on his back and begins patting him. He raises his hand as if to indicate that he needs a moment to gather himself. She then notices blood dripping out of his nose onto the street below and becomes concerned for his well-being.

  “Henry. You're...”

  “I know. This always happens when I stay invisible for a long time. It's kinda like flexing a muscle. After a while, my head starts pounding something fierce.”

  As Henry wipes his nose with a handkerchief, Barbara hears the faint sound of a vehicle approaching along with a silencer being placed on the tip of a gun. She grabs Henry by the arm and throws him deep into the forest. He screams as he flies, “Hey!”

  Barbara stands in the middle of the road and aims her 9mm straight ahead. She may as well test her aiming ability with the new eye. This is going to hurt. They are, more than likely, professional assassins and she may get hit with several bullets but she's betting on the probability of the wounds being nonfatal due to the distance and the fact that the car is moving at about eighty-five MPH.

  “Come on.”

  The car comes into view and Barbara can hear the bullets whizzing past her. One bullet hits her leg. Another hits her shoulder. Yet another grazes her left temple and blood rolls down her cheek. Her cybernetic eye zooms and focuses on the driver's throat. She pulls the trigger and the driver gets hit right in his Adam's apple causing him to hold his neck. A stream of blood gushes out and the driver loses control of the vehicle.

  Barbara jumps to the right and the car zooms past her. She looks up over the tall grass to see the vehicle swerve and flip about ten times before finally resting upside down. She tries to stand up and feels the burning sensation of the bullet wound in her leg. Henry materializes and puts her arm around his neck to lift her up to her feet. Henry raises his wrist to contact Dr. Frankenstein.

  While Dr. Frankenstein stares at his watch, he becomes startled by Henry screaming loudly, “Doc! I think now is a good time to get us out of here!”

  “We'll be right there, Henry.”

  “What are you talking about?!?”

  He disconnects communications and asks Indrid, “Where is she right now, Indrid?”

  “They have landed on top of the StarSun off
ice building.”

  “As soon as the helicopter departs, I want you to bring her aboard.”

  Indrid looks at Dr. Frankenstein in reaction to his decision of risking exposure. She has seen that adamant expression enough times in the past and replies, “Understood, Ludwig.”

  Both Joshua and Alexandria wave goodbye at Frank Garrison as he pilots the helicopter upwards and then departs until it becomes just a small dot in the sky. Joshua turns around and walks toward the door on the roof of the building.

  “I hope you had a good time, Alexandria. I know that it doesn't make up for what I did.”

  The lack of response from her makes him believe that she has become saddened by her loss. He turns around and says apologetically, “Listen. I really am...huh?”

  Alexandria is no longer there with him. It is as if she disappeared into thin air. Joshua scratches his head and calls out for her. “Alexandria? Are you still here?”

  No response. He even decides to look over the edge of the tall edifice all the while hoping that she did not commit suicide by plummeting straight down to the pavement below. Thankfully, this not the case as he sees that there isn't a dead body with blood and gore splattered everywhere. What the hell is going on?

  Henry is providing support to Barbara as she limps toward the wreckage of the automobile. After a minute passes, the bullet embedded in her leg pops out and falls to the street. Upon catching a glimpse of the brutally mangled occupants, Henry informs her, “They're the two guards from Bohemian Grove.”

  The sirens of two police cars are heard followed by the screech of their tires as the officers slam on the brakes. They open doors and point their shotguns at them while yelling, “Drop your weapons and get your hands up now!”

  The irony of it all. Barbara used to be a police officer and now she's the one that's about to get arrested. She sighs and just when she is about to drop her Springfield XD, a deafening high-pitched scream makes everyone cover their ears. Henry instantly recognizes the sound and yells to Barbara, “Close your eyes and don't open them!”