Eternals Among Us: Book one

by Larry W. Miller Jr.

  “Did you do this?” He asked. The dark figure moved forward into the light and his face was one of surprise and anger.

  “You’ll ruin my plans!” He said and the two eternals clashed in physical combat. Their moves were so fast the others could see only blurs.

  The others decided to move on towards Vincent. The rooms were locked and sealed. There were dead guards lying around everywhere. This was not a good sign.

  Lock tried the door, nothing opened. He rigged it with his Pad and the door opened. Tina grabbed him by the shoulder before he entered.

  “Cover your mouth and nose. We don’t know what poison was used.” She warned and he nodded. He tied a cloth over his face and Tina followed suit. Mrs. Hull stayed to watch the door.

  The office interior was plush, and everything looked expensive. The lights were off, and the air seemed hazy. They moved towards the main office with haste. People were down all over the place. They found Vincent lying behind his desk, his face pressed up against the glass.

  “Vincent!” Tina shouted. Vincent’s eyes opened and the recognition hit him, and they widened in surprise. Tina took the reaction as a good sign. “You have been poisoned, we don’t know by who yet, but we need to get you out of this office and into some fresh air.” She explained. Vincent offered no resistance as Tina and Lock pulled him across the carpeted floor towards the exit. They dragged the eternal from the office and into the corridor outside. His body began to right itself right away. He sat up and stared at the two young people he had been after for what seemed like ages.

  “You… you saved me?” He said, not truly believing his own words.

  “Of course. We couldn’t just let you die. You are supposed to be eternal after all.” Tina said and Vincent’s eyes widened once more.

  “But I was hunting you. I had everyone looking for you and a heavy bounty on your head. You still came to save me with all of that?” He asked. This was not the way people acted in his experience.

  Lock spoke up next. “It would be great if you could get those charges dropped. We never meant to hurt anyone. We were trying to be helpful. He explained. “Your device told me that you were in danger, so we responded. This was no accident. Someone tried to kill you.” Lock said with certainty in his voice.

  Vincent laughed. “Marshall.” He said.

  Tina looked confused. “No, it wasn’t him. He was with us and he also came to rescue you, but got attacked by another eternal, someone in dark clothes, trying to hide in the shadows.” We left them fighting while we came to rescue you.” She told the fallen eternal.

  “The dark one sought my death?” He said, trying on the idea for the first time. “He must have wanted my power. Who else could take it like this?” Vincent asked but it was more of a curse. “Help me up, we need to help Marshall then.” Vincent said with resolve.

  Tina and Lock were helping him up when Mrs. Hull came around the corner. “Someone had better help him, that guy has Marshall seriously hurt now.” She cried.

  ∆ ∆ ∆

  Marshall engaged the dark figure as he had intended, but that was the only thing that went as intended. His opponent was bigger, stronger and faster than he was. He had centuries of study under his belt where Marshall had only rediscovered his abilities. But Vincent’s life hung in the balance here. He drove on, despite the awkward one-sidedness of this battle.

  “So, you’ve decided to come and play with the adults.” The dark figure taunted.

  “You’re up to no good and I have to stop you.” Marshall replied.

  “You couldn’t stop me even if you had an army, which you definitely do not.”

  Marshall nodded. “No, no army. But then, you are only one individual.” The detective dove for an opening he thought he saw. The dark figure covered it deftly and countered with a strike to the chest. Marshall felt like he had been hit by a steam hammer. He was pushed backward to hit the wall.

  “You are so out of your league.” The dark figure taunted with a smile.

  Marshall knew that this was futile, but what choice did he have? He moved like lightning this time. His fist caught the dark one fully on the jaw in a lunge that even the air did not sense until it was too late. The dark one fell backwards from the unexpected blow. He was up again quickly, rubbing his jaw.

  “Not bad. I wouldn’t have given you credit for that much speed, but you still lack power.” He said. Then he became a black blur of movement and his fists were clenched together in a pounding strike that Marshall only narrowly avoided. His counter would have failed so he didn’t throw it.

  The dark figure moved again, this time back to his ready position. “You are definitely gifted for an amateur.” He offered in praise. “It is good to actually have a bit of a challenge.” He said and then his move caught Marshall completely by surprise. The kick was square against his knee and the knee bent backward in more pain than Marshall knew he was capable of. He toppled to the floor looking at the dislocated joint.

  A scream off to the side caught both men’s attention as Mrs. Hull fled the scene. Neither had known that she was there in the first place. The dark one shrugged and began to move around the fallen Marshall.

  “My plan continues even as we fight. You have failed to stop me, and you have failed to defeat me as well. It couldn’t have gone worse for you.” He said smiling.

  Marshall was trying to pull his leg back into the correct position.

  “Noble though your struggle is, it is fruitless. You could never defeat me. I remember all of my training. I remember who you are, and I know your weaknesses.” He taunted yet again.

  Suddenly the leg snapped back and his knee, though sore, was working again. He looked up and smiled.

  “I guess we’ll see about that.” He said and his look was one that actually caused the dark one fear. Marshall did not appear to move, but somehow, he did. He lunged forth at a speed that even eternals could not perceive. The blow that hit the dark one in the chest, burst several organs inside of him. The hit was so fast that pain did not register. His regenerative abilities began to process the ludicrous amount of damage and Marshall struck again. The dark one felt the wave of pain from the first blow even as the second was being applied. The sound of snapping bones collided with the sheer agony of being crushed. The dark one fell to his knees and then fell forward onto his face. Marshall stopped moving and reappeared. He was suddenly exhausted. He fell down to his knees as well. He willed the soreness from his overworked knee and then rolled over onto his back.

  Mrs. Hull, Vincent, Tina and Lock were all looking down at him.

  Mrs. Hull was the first to break the silence. “I guess I was wrong.” She said aloud. That broke the tension.

  Vincent lent a hand for Marshall to get up. “It is good to have you back again.” He said.

  Marshall was not sure how to feel about this. He still hated this man, but somehow, he knew that Vincent wasn’t the cause of all of that pain and regret. He had only been an easy target.

  “I… I am not sure that I am.” Marshall replied.

  Vincent nodded. “An honest answer and I do appreciate that. I know there are gaps in your memory. I have recordings for you to view if you want to catch up.” He offered.

  Marshall looked confused. “Why would you help me?” He asked.

  “You came here to save my life. Do you think I value my life so little?” He asked. “I have lived even longer than you have. I have seen so much, done so much. To lose that must be terrible. Let me help you to get some of yours back.” He offered again.

  “I welcome your help. Is there a cure for my condition?” Marshall asked.

  “I do not think so, but I can give you implants that can provide your background information, so you’d never be without that much at least.” Vincent replied.

  “Hey guys!” Tina’s voice cut through their conversation. “What’re you going to do with this guy?” She asked indicating the dark figure lying on the floor. He was obviously broken, but he was pulling himself b
ack together again.

  Vincent stepped over and looked down upon the figure on the floor. Then he shrugged. “There is little we can do, he is an eternal just like us. He will heal fully and become a threat once more. The best we could do is to incarcerate him, but no jail can hold an eternal for long. All that would do is to alienate him even more against us. So, for now we just leave him.” Vincent replied to Tina’s query.

  “So, he gets away with trying to kill you? He gets away with causing Marshall so much aggravation? He gets away with everything?” She asked, her frustration showing.

  “Get used to it little one, this is a game that you cannot possibly understand.” The dark one replied in raspy tones. The internal damage was still ravaging his body.

  Tina knelt down to him and looked into his pain-filled eyes. “You tried to kill them with poison gas, what if we did the same to you in your weakened condition?” She asked. There was no emotion in her tone to belie her seriousness. Then she lifted his chin in her hand. The pain of moving made him shout out uncontrollably. “How long would you last?” She asked as if it were a science experiment.

  “You cannot do this.” He screamed through the pain. “Save me from this beast of a child.” He beseeched Vincent.

  Vincent also knelt down next to the dark one. “I knew so little about your weaknesses until this young one confronted you. I suggest you behave until at least she has passed of old age.” He said. Then he turned to Tina. “Come along now, you have tormented this fallen dog long enough.” He said casually. When they were farther away, out of earshot, Vincent spoke to Tina again.

  “Your interrogation skills are formidable. You brought fear to an Eternal’s eyes. That is no small feat. I was right to attempt to recruit you before.” He said at last.

  “Recruit, that’s what you call it? I was framed for murder and held hostage.” She replied bitterly.

  Vincent picked up her thread and continued. “And yet you came to my rescue without hesitation.” He pointed out. “You are a very rare and special person. Your friend is too. I do not know about your other friends, but I suspect they are also special. There is little you wouldn’t do for each other. The bond is strong. I have seen a great many people and the one constant is a self-serving desire in each and every one, except for a rare few.” He said.

  Tina put her hands on her hips. “I need the price off my head. You know I didn’t kill that man. Can you fix this for me?” She asked.

  Vincent made a dismissive gesture. “Consider it done.”

  “Really? Just like that?” Tina responded a bit put out but mostly surprised.

  “Certainly, all that is needed is to release the original video footage and your name will be cleared. In fact, I am sure we can get someone blamed for the edited version and your name will be fully restored.” Vincent said.

  Tina looked Vincent in the eyes, since he was considerably taller, she was looking up. “You have too much power.” She stated flatly.

  Vincent sighed. “I have begun to agree with you on that point. Although I do help the ship to run efficiently, all too often I let my emotions make decisions for me and that can cost us more than credits.” He admitted.

  “Look, your eternal friend back there, if he chose to come after me, I couldn’t stop him. He’s just too powerful. Is there anything we can do to ensure he doesn’t bother me in the future?” Tina asked.

  Vincent glanced back. The dark was one getting up now and his body still looked rather disfigured. He would be right as rain tomorrow, but today would be a struggle. “Oh him, I don’t think he’ll ever give you any trouble ever. You could have killed him when he was down and he understands that, in fact he fears that. He will avoid you at all costs.” Vincent predicted.

  Tina shook her head. “I don’t think so. He is a big and strong person with an enormous ego. He will not let my words go by unpunished.” She countered.

  Vincent raised an eyebrow. “Oh, so how do you know how someone with a big ego will react?” He asked her.

  “I’m small and insignificant, everybody treats me like that. Teachers in school, adults of any type, even upper classmen who think they know everything. They all act like that to me. There is almost no chance that the Eternal will act any different.” Tina explained.

  Vincent stopped in his tracks. “I had not realized that. My own actions could have been considered condescending to you as well. The idea of superiority has its blind spots I see.” He admitted.

  Tina shrugged. “I’m used to it. To you he is no threat now. To him, I look like prey.” She reiterated.

  Vincent began moving again, although more slowly, more thoughtfully. “Your insight could greatly enhance my own vision. Would you mind coming and working for me?” He asked. When she looked at him skeptically, he turned all defensive. “I promise that the price on your head will be removed no matter what you decide. Your family will be well taken care of as well. I owe you a life debt. You can’t imagine how that feels from my point of view. But I honestly value your opinions and perspective on the world around us.” Vincent explained.

  Lock was watching Tina closely. Vincent noticed that and nodded in his direction. “The offer is open for your friend too. In fact, he was already recruited so he had better report unless he is resigning being a spy.” He said and Lock’s eyes went wide.

  “I’m still a spy?” He asked.

  “Why not? You came to my aid when I needed it most. You have already proven your worth as an agent and your ability to remain at large despite the exhaustive search for you was impressive.” Vincent stated.

  Tina tugged on Vincent’s sleeve. “You know how I mentioned that you have too much power? Well, we’ve already taken steps to alleviate that.” She said and Vincent switched gears to suspicious in a snap.

  “What have you done?” He asked in a low monotone voice.

  “We have exposed you and your eternals to the general populace.” Tina replied firmly. “Most of the reason you enjoy limitless power is the fact that you are anonymous. That will no longer be true.” She stated in return.

  “That’s not possible, I’ve got filters and search blockers and all kinds of security in place to avoid just that sort of leak.” Vincent replied, he looked nervous.

  Lock strolled over. “Then I’m afraid I won’t be your spy then. You see, I sent the article in to be published.” He admitted. Then he pointed at one of the screens out across the way. “See for yourself.” He instructed and Vincent went to the window and peered out at the gigantic screen across the way. Sure enough, his picture was posted on it larger than life. The words “What about this guy? Anyone seen anyone like him?” were next to the picture.

  People down on the deck below were pointing up at the window. Vincent had been spotted. The look of panic on his face was something any of his many enemies would love to have seen, let alone caused.

  “Oh my god, what have you done?” He said, hiding part of his face with his hands. He then turned to glare at Lock. “You did this!” He said menacingly.

  Tina hit Vincent on the shoulder a bit harder than a love tap, but not as hard as a fight would. He startled and looked at the young lady. “You are not to strike out in anger. You told me yourself that too often you make decisions from your emotions. It is time to grow up and become part of this community. You can no longer hide away so full disclosure is your only way to salvation.”

  Lock couldn’t believe that Vincent, a being that could possibly have lived forever, was taking advice from a young girl. But the truth of it was before them. Tina held out her hand for Vincent to take it.

  “Come on, I’ll go with you.” She offered.

  The group began to head down to the main deck. The police arrived just before they reached the concourse.

  “Sir, we have some questions concerning your apparent life span.” One of the cops said.

  Vincent couldn’t help but laugh. Of all the things to get in trouble with the law over, living too long had never been considered a real poss
ibility. Yet here he was.

  “Gentlemen.” Vincent began. “I am older than any of you can imagine. I have watched over you all since the day of your births. I have remained hidden among you until recently due to these remarkable young people. I am ready to answer any and all questions concerning my life span, uh that is, once I have been able to right a couple of wrongs.” He said like a police chief giving a public address.

  “First of all, this young lady, Tina Hull, is innocent of the crime of murder. Through an exhaustive search of databases ship-wide, the original video from her apartment has been recovered. She was accosted and therefore was the victim of this intruder, not his assassin.” He said. The video in question began to play on all the screens all over the ship. “You can see the real culprit here. I suggest you start a manhunt for him now. He is the real killer and that poor installer’s soul will not rest until justice is served.” He said eloquently.

  “Sir, we understand that this child is not a murderer, but just how old are you?” One of the officers asked. “I mean, I show small hits on record searches going back as far as the database goes.” He added.

  Lock chuckled behind Vincent and all eyes went to him. He looked up suddenly camera shy. “Your databases are not old enough to track this distinguished public servant. I saw a photo of him on the original crew at launch.” He said and there were gasps in the crowd.

  “So, you obviously had the illegal treatments.” The officer speculated.

  Vincent looked offended. “I most certainly did not!” He replied. “I was the one who invented the therapy. I am the one who was eternal first. I am the first one. I am the center.” He said.

  “What does all that mean?” The officer pressed. He was ready to arrest this ancient man.

  “I was born eternal. My blood is different than everyone else’s. It is through my blood that others could receive therapy.” He announced. He turned to Tina. “I have never spoken those words aloud, it feels… relieving.” He said with a smile.

  “You’re doing great.” Tina replied in support.