Rise of the Fallen: Ascensionis

by Danny R Negron

  “You're Henry but...”

  Henry finishes what she is about to ask. “How is it possible? Is there a quiet place so we can talk? It's a long story.”

  Her hand is trembling as she reaches for the ignition. The Honda turns on and before shifting the gear into the drive position, she says without looking at him, “There's the Belleplain forest in Woodbine.”

  “Good.”

  The vehicle's engine becomes louder as it accelerates and departs from the area. Dawn is still in denial over what is happening to her at this moment. She gives him a quick glance just to make sure that she's not losing her mind and hallucinating it all. She would always ask her grandmother to tell her stories about her beloved Henry and would sit there fantasizing and hoping that she would be able to find a gentleman like him. At times, she even became envious of the fact that her grandmother did experience true love in her lifetime.

  Henry looks out of the passenger window to appreciate the scenery and enjoys the soothing comfort of having the New Jersey wind blow against his face. He is amazed at how much things have changed. That is to be expected, though. Time marches on. A restaurant comes into view and Dawn says, “The chicken quesadillas are pretty good there.”

  “Really? I'd like to try them, then. One of these days.”

  She is keeping her eyes straight ahead as she drives but can feel Henry's eyes studying her closely. Everyone tells her that she has in fact inherited her grandmother's looks but she asks anyway.

  “What?”

  “Sorry about that. It's just that you look so much like Ellie.”

  Dawn gives him a quick glance while grinning and focuses straight ahead afterwards. She says in a tender voice, “You really did love my grandmother a lot. Didn't you?”

  Henry pauses for a moment and replies, “With all of my heart. I would've done anything for her.”

  Her heart beats faster and her grip on the steering wheel tightens upon listening to the verbalization of his sincere adoration. The temptation to use her appearance in order to obtain what she wants is so hard to resist. All of the men that Dawn has been in a relationship with have always let her down in one way or another. If it's not alcoholism, it's infidelity. If it's not physical abuse, it's mental abuse. Then came the depression after losing her baby as a result of an altercation with the one that gave her the physical abuse. Why did all of the bad things happen to her? She was always nice to everyone and never used drugs. She remembers falling down to her knees one night and, while pulling her hair, shouting with tears in her eyes, “What have I done to deserve all of this, God? Why?”

  A few minutes later, they arrive at Belleplain Forest. The engine shuts off and the doors open. Henry and Dawn exit the vehicle and close the doors. The sound of the beep when she pushes the button on her key to set the alarm fascinates him. He has seen it many times before but still cannot prevent himself from getting that feeling of awe whenever he witnesses modern technology at work. While walking along a dirt path that leads into the forest, Henry offers Dawn a cigarette. She refuses it and says, “I don't smoke.”

  She can't help but admire him as he lights his cigarette and exhales smoke. It is as if she has come face to face with her childhood hero. The person she would think of to stay positive whenever she felt that the world was nothing but a ball of shit floating in space. All the while, holding on to that hope that there had to be someone decent out there.

  Once Henry is absolutely certain that they are sufficiently away from people, he stops walking and says, “I think we're fine right here.” She stops walking as well and gives him her undivided attention.

  “It was the summer of 1943. I was a sailor aboard the U.S.S. Eldridge. For reasons never explained to us, our ship docked at the Philadelphia Naval Yard to be fitted with some kind of experimental equipment. Rumors began floating around that it was alien technology that was being tested to make the ship invisible. I found out later that the equipment had the ability of fusing electromagnetic radiation and gravity into one field. Whatever that means. Anyway, on October 28, 1943, the test was conducted. What happened after that was scarier than any monster movie. We all began suffering nausea...throwing up everywhere. A few of us actually puked blood. A few days later, strange things began to happen. Some of us would disappear into thin air...then reappear minutes later. A few would reappear with half of their bodies sticking out of the hull. Others would burst into flames while others would go completely bananas.”

  Dawn is utterly shocked and at a loss for words. She covers her mouth with both of her hands. She remembers that the Philadelphia Experiment was proven to be a hoax.

  “In my case, Dawn, I disappeared one day and reappeared on October 30th...of the year 2012. I felt normal but something about me changed. I'm going to show you because I trust you. Just don't scream, okay?”

  Dawn lowers her hands slowly and nods in an insecure manner. Her biggest fear is that he'll mutate into something similar to John Carpenter's Thing creature and she'll then get absorbed into his body. She gathers up her courage and prepares herself. Her whole body begins to shiver uncontrollably at the sight of Henry fading away...little by little...until he's gone. Dawn inches her way backwards until she comes into contact with a tree. The sound of her purse opening startles her. Mainly because it wasn't her that opened it. A pen floats out and, seemingly by way of a magic trick, hovers inches away from her eyes. She whispers, in the fashion similar to that of a spectator witnessing a dramatic circus performance, “Whoa.”

  Henry gradually materializes in front of her and places the pen back inside of her purse. He grins and says, “Please don't faint again. Carrying a woman isn't as easy as it looks in the movies.”

  “Um...okay. Give me a minute to process what I just saw.”

  Dawn folds her arms and begins pacing back and forth attempting to rationalize what just took place. Is this a dream? The kind that feels real but isn't?

  “You can't tell anyone about this, Dawn. Not even Ellie.”

  The request takes her by surprise and she stops to look into his eyes. He trusts her more than her grandmother? No...she just can't take him away from her.

  “Henry. No. My grandmom has to know. She's the one that you love so you need to tell her. You don't even know me.”

  “Really? And have the poor woman die of a heart attack? I do love her...and that's why she can't know.”

  He does have a point. Her grandmother has already lived her life with her father. She has experienced the joys of motherhood and the precious gift of having a grandchildren. The past should be left alone and not be revisited. Henry gives her a slight bow and turns around to walk away. She has met the only person she's ever admired just to say goodbye to him.

  “Will I see you again?”

  Henry stops walking and, without looking at her, says, “My life is complicated, Dawn.”

  “I know.”

  Taking the hint that she doesn't want him to leave, he turns around and takes a moment to admire her beauty. It has been such a long time since he last gave himself time to socialize and have fun.

  “I guess you can take me to that place to try out the quesadillas.”

  This makes her feel the happiest she's ever felt in a long time. She smiles at him and they both proceed to walk back to the car.

  Hours later, Henry and Dawn are at the restaurant sitting at a table. They are both drinking beer and laughing at Henry's experiences during his first few attempts at getting accustomed to the current time period.

  “I remember trying to look for the knob of the water faucet to wash my hands in the men’s room of a movie theater. I practically missed the whole movie that night.”

  Dawn laughs and, after sipping her beer, asks interrogatively, “Be honest. Have you ever sneaked into the ladies room?”

  The question makes him blush and he begins coughing from inhaling the beer instead of drinking it. His eyes become watery as a result of not being able to cease his sudden coughing fit. While smiling, and wip
ing the tears from his eyes, he manages to utter between coughs, “No!”

  Dawn believes him but just to taunt him says, “Yeah, right.”

  “Seriously! I would never do that. I have been tempted, yes. Never went through with it, though.”

  Dawn's mood suddenly shifts from happiness to sadness. Henry becomes concerned and asks, “What's wrong?”

  “I don't know. Sometimes I feel as if I was born in the wrong era. I never really fit in with the other kids my age. When I was fourteen, I would look at grandma's photo albums and become so obsessed with the fantasy of being there with them. I even watched all of her favorite movies just to escape the real world.”

  “Which one's your favorite?”

  “Hmmmm....That's a tough one. I'll go with Casablanca.”

  “Good ol' Humphrey. 'Here's looking at you, kid.' That one was great.”

  “You know what else I used to like looking at? The pictures she had of you. I remember how she would sit there knitting and telling me those stories of the moments that she shared with you. You became something of a role model for me being that my dad died when I was four and my older brother's gay.”

  “How about your granddad?”

  “They got divorced when I was ten. I haven't heard from him since. Things are so different now compared to your time...uglier.”

  Henry cannot find anything to say that can comfort her. Judging by the way she is staring at her mug, it looks as if the conversation has made some of her bad memories return. He decides to drop the topic and drink more of his beer.

  Two hours later, they both exit the restaurant and takes a few steps forward until Henry stops walking. She turns around and knows right away that Henry is going to leave just by the look on his handsome face. He says to her warmly, “I really have to go now, Dawn.”

  “Okay, Henry. It was a pleasure to meet you. Really.”

  “Maybe we can catch a movie sometime?”

  “Sure. I'd love to. Can I give you a ride?”

  “Nah. I feel like walking back. Thanks.”

  Henry moves closer to her until his lips are merely inches away from her right cheek. He closes his eyes to sniff the sweet scent of her perfume and kisses her cheek softly. The urge to taste her luscious lips is incredibly hard to resist...especially as he feels her warm breath sensually flowing around his ear. He resists, out of respect, and takes a step back.

  “Here's looking at you, kid.”

  Dawn giggles and says, “Bye.”

  She watches him walk away and wonders if she will in fact get a chance to watch a movie with him. Or if the same thing that happened to her grandmother will happen to her. She takes a minute to take out her cell phone to answer a call and when she looks up...Henry is nowhere to be seen.

  “You didn't just do the invisibility thing on me.”

  Chapter VI

  The following day, at the dining hall inside of Area 51, Alexandria and Joshua enter the cafeteria and hear the familiar loud voice of Dr. Frankenstein as he expresses his frustration to everyone sitting around him. As he screams about the risk of a potential outbreak, Joshua thinks to himself, “Outbreak? What does he mean?”

  Alexandria decides to not interrupt her father and sits down in an empty table away from him to eat her breakfast. She takes out her tablet and accesses the YouTube app. She has subscribed to Brian Gunn's channel and wants to see if there has been any new videos uploaded. Joshua leans over to get a better view and asks, “You like watching his stuff?”

  “I like some of his conspiracy theories. They're funny sometimes.”

  Among the recent clips is one entitled “The Truth Behind the Secret Underground City of Denver.” Alexandria clicks on it and the familiar theme of Rambo is heard followed by a montage of images showing the American flag as well as the All Seeing Eye of the Illuminati. He is finally seen in what looks like a newsroom and begins speaking.

  “Welcome, my fellow Americans. I'm Brian Gunn. Well, we've all seen, and read, the theories concerning an underground city in Denver. You may be asking, “Can it be a shelter for the world's elite? Are they preparing themselves for a cataclysmic event?” To verify whether all of this is true or not, I spoke with my deep throat contact. He refuses to reveal himself, or even speak, to the public for fear of getting disappeared or heart attacked like many others who came forward with proof of a government cover-up. Hmmm...this brings to mind the recent death of a certain ex-member of Project Paperclip; former Nazi scientist Joseph Jaeger. Anyway, he informed me that the city is being prepared to be the new US capitol after the destruction of Washington, DC. As of right now, the cause of the destruction of our nation’s capital is not known. Unfortunately, only the privileged few on top of the Illuminati pyramid have access to that secret information. My prediction is that something is in the works for this year. It'll be yet another self-inflicted wound to feed the insatiable hunger of the military-industrial-complex with another war. After that, don't be surprised if their next move is toward a New World Order and one world government.”

  Alexandria rolls her eyes and exits the video clip. Her mind wanders and she begins to think about her mother. How would she react to Joshua when they finally meet? She takes a sip of her orange juice while Joshua carefully spreads butter on his toast and takes a bite.

  “So, uh...Fluffy's an...android?”

  “Yup.”

  “And you already fixed him?”

  “Yup. Hey, Josh. Let's go check out some of the stuff they have here.”

  Minutes after eating their breakfast, they decide to explore the Engineering Center located north of the Base Headquarters. Alexandria observes in amazement at all of the futuristic advancements that have been accomplished here. They are almost to the point of being as advanced as her home-world of Atlantis! As they gaze at one of the projects involving the folding of space and time, the voice of a small child reading Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat is heard. Alexandria proceeds to walk toward the laboratory where the voice is originating from and Joshua follows closely. As she arrives at the entrance, she sees a young engineer speaking with what can only be described as a mechanical insect. Its body is covered with numerous wires and seems to be connected to a central computing system. The hands appear to have the resemblance of claws while its head looks like a fly of some sort. The young man laughs and says to it, “Very good!”

  Alexandria smiles as the machine giggles like a playful little girl.

  Joshua's mouth drops open and then he asks in a perplexed manner, “That's where the little girl's voice is coming from?”

  Both the young man and the machine look at the young couple. He says to the machine, “Looks like we have visitors, Phoebe.” Phoebe raises her arms and yells, “Hi! Nice to meet you!”

  Alexandria walks toward them and says, “I'm sorry for interrupting you. Is she?...you know.”

  The young man replies, “Yeah. She became self-aware last week. Don't ask me how it happened, though. I just came here that morning and heard her humming.”

  Alexandria extends her hand and introduces herself by saying, “I'm Alexandria. This is my friend, Joshua.” As he shakes both of their hands, he says, “Oh, yeah. Dr. Frankenstein's daughter. My name's Jerry Desmond.”

  Phoebe extends her mechanical arm at Alexandria and says excitedly, “My name's Phoebe!”

  Jerry looks at her and laughingly says, “They know your name already! Don't be silly!”

  Phoebe shakes their hands and makes a sound as if she's sticking her tongue out at Jerry. This makes Alexandria laugh and ask, “Do you have a body ready for her?”

  He then makes a gesture with his head to follow him into a nearby room and says, “Hey, Phoebe. I'm going to show our new friends a few of my toys.”

  “Okay!”

  Jerry sits down in front of a computer monitor and types several commands. Soon afterwards, the floor in front of them slides open and a body sized tube slowly makes its way up. Alexandria studies in wonderment the mechanical skeleton of
a small child inside of it. Jerry arrives beside her and says, “Your father is a great inspiration, Alexandria. If not for his brilliant work, I would never have gotten this far.”

  She touches the tube and asks, “Have you begun work on the skin?”

  “That's where I'm stuck. I'm having a hard time making the flesh. The skeleton just keeps rejecting everything. I've been trying to get your dad to help me, but it seems that he's always busy.”

  “Can you show me what you've made so far?”

  “Sure. I have them stored away.”

  They all arrive at a heavily armored door and Jerry types his password into the keypad next to it. The sound of gears in motion can be heard followed by a loud unlock. Alexandria and Joshua follow Jerry into a frigidly cold room and begin to tremble.

  “Here they are. I made three so far.”

  As Alexandria observes the outer skins, she touches them and tells him, “Good stuff. You pretty much have the texture down.”

  “Excuse me? Pretty much?”

  “Show me everything you have.”

  Jerry makes his way toward a nearby computer and logs in. He says to Alexandria, “I just don't get it. I've taken what your father has made with respect to his latest project, but something is missing.” As she looks at the composition of the artificial skin and blood, he explains, “I've used the same semiconductor materials for the skin and hematopoietic stem cells for the blood, as you can see.”

  Alexandria takes a moment to analyze the data. She begins rapidly typing while explaining, “What you have here is perfect...if you're working on prosthetics. You see, to make this work, you need to add this protein which is found in silk spiders together with the semiconductor materials. For the blood, respirocytes are known to work better on robotic skeletons like the one you made.”