The Omega Archives

by Erik Melendez

  “Really?” I said.

  “Yeah. I even managed to get a shot of the creature in the square,” Katie said.

  “You guys need to see it; it’s so weird. Actually, let’s hang out after class and talk about it,” Mark said.

  “That sounds good,” I said.

  “We’ll see you later then,” Max said as he and Sarah walked off quickly.

  “So, Alex, did you see anything last night?” Melissa asked.

  “No, nothing. I got to go,” I said as I stormed off.

  After class, me and the others hung out at the square, sitting near the fountain. Repairmen were fixing the damage from last night. Katie showed us one of the pictures to us.

  “That is so weird,” Max said as he saw the picture.

  “I took this after some guys killed it. They left by the time I got there. I was taking pictures of stuff for my scrapbook in the park when I heard gunshots going off. So, I ran over there and found the creature already dead,” Katie said.

  “Can I see them?” I asked.

  “Sure,” Katie said as she handed me the camera. The picture was the bio-weapon in the square. As I examined the picture, I saw the number 24 under his right armpit through his ripped shirt. I stared at it for a few seconds. I felt like crushing the camera in my hands, but I handed back to her and turned away.

  “Are you okay?” Katie asked.

  “I’m fine. Just scary,” I said as I turned to her a little.

  “I heard that one of them had six arms,” Mark said.

  “I heard that one of them was seven feet tall,” Katie said.

  “What do you think it was, Alex?” Melissa asked.

  “Umm… I heard one of them had a muzzle over its face,” I replied hesitantly.

  “Yeah, I heard the same thing,” Sarah said as she was trying to cover me.

  “I wonder who did it. Maybe it was a bunch of mad scientists who were testing experiments out on people,” Mark said.

  We continued to talk about what happened last night. They mostly just had hypotheses about what happened, and we watched the repairmen clean up the square.

  Later that night, I overheard my parents talking while I sat on the staircase to listen in.

  “So, they’re making budget cuts to your firm?” Mom said.

  “Yeah. I don’t know how long it will last. I also heard that some of us might get laid off,” Dad said.

  “For how long?” she asked.

  “I don’t know,” he replied.

  They continued to talk, and my mom tried to reassure him that everything would be fine. Before I went to bed, I got a call from Mathis.

  “Mathis here. I’m glad you made it through that attack okay,” he said.

  “Thanks. It wasn’t easy seeing my once-brother being mutated into some creature,” I said.

  “I can’t imagine what that’s like, except for the fact that it sucks,” he said.

  “Did you guys find anything that could tie the Union back to this?” I asked.

  “Negative. No markings on the clothes, one guy killed himself before we could make him talk, and no other evidence. The Union must have covered it up before we could find anything. For all we know, it was just an independent terrorist organization,” he said.

  “I’m curious. How exactly did you find out about the Union?” I asked.

  “It started in Vietnam, 1965. We were doing a simple sweep and secure mission. When my unit arrived at the target location, we got ambushed by the Viet Cong. My entire unit was wiped out. I was able to kill the others, but one ran off. I shot him, and he fell to the ground. As he died, he muttered, ‘Long live the Union.’ I spent the next years trying desperately to find any info on the Union and got nothing. When the war ended, I joined the CIA hoping to find more answers.”

  “And that brings us to 1988, Kowloon Walled City. We had recently received contact from someone who knew something about the Union, and I was sent in to extract him. He was hiding there with Soviet spies hot on his ass. I found him and tried to get him out. Unfortunately, during a gun fight, he was killed. However, I did find a folder on his body containing some info on the Union, but not enough to prove anything. When I was placed in charge, I made it my goal to find and to take the Union down,” he said.

  “Wow,” I said.

  “So, yeah. I do have a long history with the Union,” he said.

  “Did you manage to find anything else on Jackson?” I asked.

  “We have been doing some searching on Jackson, and we may have found a lead. If you were still interested in joining, we could use some help with finding Jackson. With a little luck, we just might be able to find out what exactly happened to the Omega Project. So, are you still interested in joining?” John asked.

  I paused for a moment thinking about his offer. I then started to think of the day of the attack again, imagining all of the people who were killed. I also realized that my parents would be pissed if I joined. But, after thinking it over for a second, I made my decision.

  “Sure, I’m in,” I said.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I spent the night lying in bed just staring at the ceiling as I lay there feeling like I was split into two different people. At the same time, I thought about how my life was going to play out now. It kept me up all night. When I arrived at school, I was still coming up with a plan to keep my new special operative life separate from my school life. Obvious things like homework and projects would have to get done quickly, and thankfully tests would not be a problem.

  The next day at school I met with Sarah and Max under the bleachers outside in the football field, sitting on the damp grass before first period. We talked about what happened over the past few days, and my plans regarding the Union.

  “So, what are you going to do now?” Max asked.

  “Well, you know those two guys that were with me on the day of the attack?” I said.

  “Yeah,” he replied.

  “They work for a counter-terrorist organization that headhunted me. Last night, I joined them,” I said.

  “So, does this mean that you’re some kind of secret agent or something?” Max asked.

  “I guess so. Except it sounds like more like the French Foreign Legion,” I replied.

  “What’s that?” Sarah asked.

  “They hire soldiers from around the world to fight. Except we function much differently than they do,” I said.

  “How so?” Sarah asked.

  “The French Foreign Legion are basically infantry forces from all countries. The STR has branches around the globe that recruit people to fight. We function either in a small unit or alone, if we have the experience,” I said.

  “Do you seriously think you can do that?” Sarah asked.

  “I can try to, I guess,” I replied.

  “Sounds kind of badass,” Max said as we started laughing a little.

  “Will you get paid?” he asked.

  “Apparently so,” I replied.

  Both their eyes widened as we talked a little bit more. Mark came over, and we quickly stopped talking.

  “What’s up, guys?” Mark asked.

  “Nothing. Just talking,” I said.

  “About what?” Mark asked.

  “About what I could do after school,” I said.

  “Hey, Max, how’s academic team coming?” Mark asked.

  “Not good. Someone dropped the team, so now we’re one short,” Max said. “You should join us for academic team, Alex.”

  “I could give it a try,” I said.

  “Well, if you have any expertise in any academic fields, we can use you,” Max said.

  I was an expert in several areas. I was good at math and physics because they assist me in tactical necessities, such as marksmanship. I learned chemistry to help with the production of improvised munitions. I studied psychology and sociology to better understand how the enemy thinks; and I mastered human anatomy and physiology to be more effective in combat.

  “Sounds good. I’ll
be there,” I said.

  “Thanks. I swear, we have been begging people to join for months now,” he said.

  As we talked, the bell rang.

  “See ya, guys,” I said as we went to class.

  On our way to class, I caught up with Mark.

  “How are things with you and your boyfriend?” I asked.

  “We’re putting things on hold for now,” Mark said.

  “Sorry to hear that. Do his parents know?”

  “Yeah, they know. They didn’t seem to care much.”

  We continued to talk a bit on our way to class. In my math class, I got yet another A on a homework assignment I did earlier. After class, the teacher pulled me aside for some questions.

  “Hey, Alex. I noticed that you never get anything under a B or even an A-minus in this class. Maybe you should look into taking Advanced Placement classes,” he said.

  “No, thank you. Regular classes will do just fine,” I said.

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  “Positive,” I said.

  “Well, okay then. If you ever change your mind, let me know,” he said.

  “Sure, thanks,” I said as I turned around and left.

  During fourth-hour history class, we were watching a movie about Roman history. When a scene played talking about the gladiator arenas, I flashed back to my training days. My heart started pounding, sweat started to pour down my head, and I started shaking. I ducked out of there, went to the bathroom, and splashed some water in my face. It felt like the flashbacks just would not go away, no matter what I did. I could hear the sounds of the guns going off, and the adrenaline rush from all the fighting.

  During drama class, we mostly talked about other acting techniques. We even talked a little about Shakespearean acting. After class, Sarah pulled me aside.

  “Hey, Alex. Can I ask you something really quick?” she said.

  “Sure, what’s up?” I asked.

  “Can we meet this Saturday afternoon? I want to know more about what happened when the town got attacked by those creatures.”

  “What else did you want to know?”

  “Everything you know.”

  “I guess so. Where did you want to meet?”

  “In the square.”

  “Sure. I’ll see you there,” I replied.

  After school, I met up with Max for academic team. It was held in the school library. We all sat down at the table near the windows. The table had four chairs, with an extra chair where the teacher sat. I came in with Max and he introduced me to the group of three people, himself included, and the teacher.

  “Hey, everyone. I got a new team member. This is Alex,” Max said.

  “Well, hello, Alex, and welcome to the team. I’m Mr. Hiller. I’m the faculty sponsor. Please take a seat,” Mr. Hiller said.

  Mr. Hiller had short brown hair and had pale skin.

  “Pleasure,” I said as I sat down at the desk.

  “So, Alex what areas of academics to you excel in?” he asked.

  “I’m good with human anatomy and physiology,” I replied.

  We began with him asking a series of questions to the group. The topics ranged from basic math to advanced chemistry. The other kids seemed to get most of the questions correct, and everyone had a specialty. Max was good at technology and chemistry. Kirsten was a sophomore and good with chemistry and physics. She had long black hair and wore black glasses. Matthew was a junior and co-captain, who was good with literature. He was tall, skinny, and had short blonde hair.

  Soon he started to ask questions on my area.

  “Not bad so far, guys,” Mr. Hiller said.

  Mr. Hiller’s phone started ringing.

  “I’ve got to take this. I’ll be right back,” he said as he left the room.

  Matthew then turned towards me.

  “So, Alex. Since you’re new here, it’s a custom that we ask more difficult questions to the new guys,” Matthew said.

  “Okay, fine,” I said.

  Matthew took the cards and picked out some questions.

  “Okay, first question: How many bones are there in the human body?” Matthew asked.

  “The human body is composed of 270 bones at birth. The bones reduce to 206 by adult-hood,” I replied.

  “Not bad. Next question: How many times does the heart beat per minute?” he asked.

  “The average is about 80 beats per minute,” I answered.

  “Correct,” he said.

  “I think he knows his stuff,” Kristen said.

  “One more,” he said.

  I stared at him waiting for his next question. He just looked back at me shuffling the cards around. He then looked down at the cards and pulled one out.

  “What’s the function of a neuron?” he asked.

  “The function is that it is responsible for transmitting information. Whether it be cognitive, muscular, or sensory,” I said.

  “Correct,” Mathew said.

  Mr. Hiller returned.

  “Okay, sorry about that. My wife called me nothing important. Are we doing okay?” he asked.

  “Oh, just fine,” Matthew said.

  We continued to quiz each other. The other guys seemed pretty good in their areas of study. I chose to just stick to human anatomy and physiology.

  “And that wraps up the day. I hope you had a good time, and I will see you next time,” Mr. Hiller said as we got up and left.

  After we finished, Max and I meet up outside the building waiting for our rides home.

  “Not bad,” Max said.

  “Thanks. It was in my training. Having a near-perfect memory about the human body makes me more effective in combat,” I said.

  “Actually, I was wondering: If you’re going to be some kind of Special Forces dude, do you think you will need some help?” Max asked.

  “Maybe. Why?” I asked.

  “I can help. I’m great with computers. Over the summer, my dad taught me how to build my own computer.”

  “So, that would make you my side-kick?”

  “I guess. What do you think?” he asked.

  “I guess so. My parents don’t want me to join, but we could use the extra money. Plus, I will need an alibi for what I’m doing,” I said.

  Max paused for a minute.

  “I got it. How about if you’re going on a mission, you can pretend you came over my house for a sleepover?” he said.

  “What if my parents call your parents?” I asked.

  “They usually go out on weekends, so don’t worry about it,” he said.

  “That just might work,” I said.

  Max’s mom’s car pulled up as we talked.

  “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Max said as he hopped into his parent’s car.

  I met with Sarah at the town center on Saturday. We stopped at the coffee shop and got something to drink. I just got a regular coffee, which went down bland and hot. She got a cappuccino. Then we went to sit at the fountain.

  “Gosh. This is what coffee tastes like,” I said, disgusted, as we sat down.

  “Yeah. You never had any before?” she replied.

  “No, never got around to it.”

  “I’m addicted to coffee. I cannot start my day unless I have a cup.”

  “So, what’s on your mind?” I asked.

  “I just wanted to know about what happened a few days ago. You know, about what that guy said about you being the perfect super soldier and those creatures,” Sarah said.

  I gave her a brief description of my past. I told her about the Omega Project, the day of the attack, and my life after the attack. She lifted her eyebrows in shock.

  “Wow. I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry for all your losses,” Sarah said.

  “Thanks. I felt like I was ripped apart when I saw 89 like that,” I said.

  “You know, I know what it’s like to lose someone,” Sarah said.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  Sarah took a deep breath and looked down.

>   “My mom died in a car accident. I was nine years old at the time. It was rough for me and my dad. But we saw a family counselor, and we worked things out. A year later, my dad married my stepmom, and things started to get better. She got me hooked into things like acting and singing, and it helped me cope,” Sarah said when she looked back up.

  “Sounds like you’re doing pretty good,” I replied.

  “I just hope that one day I can become an actress,” Sarah said.

  “Sounds like you will someday.”

  Sarah got up.

  “Come on. Follow me,” she said.

  “Where’re we going?” I asked.

  “To the park. Well, come on,” she said.

  We got up and walked over to the park. We went to the open area where there was nothing but grass. Kids were playing at the playground a few feet from where we were.

  “Okay, Alex. I’m going to teach you how to act,” Sarah said.

  “Okay. What for?” I asked.

  “For one, to pass drama class. Second, it might help you interact with people a little bit better and loosen up a little,” she said.

  “So, what are we going to do?” I asked.

  “Let me think,” she said. “Okay, I got it. Let’s do some improv. The scene will involve a young girl meeting a handsome soldier returning from battle. The meeting will take place in a ball where she sees him. She doesn’t know him, but she’s curious about him.”

  “What do you need me to do?” I asked.

  “Stand over there,” Sarah said as she pointed opposite of my direction.

  “You stand there. You just notice me. I smile at you; you smile back and walk over toward me. After that, just wing it; say the first thing that comes to mind,” she said.

  We began the scene. I stand in the distance. She pretends to enter the room. She looks at me, smiles and walks off. She then stops and pretends to stand at a bar. I then walk up toward her.

  “Hello,” I said as I approached her.

  “Why, hello there. Are you here alone?” she asked.

  I took a breath to relax.

  “Yes, I am actually. I just got back from the war,” I said.

  “Oh my. It must have been terrifying,” she said.

  “Indeed, it was. What brings you here?” I asked.