Becoming (Core Series Book 1)

by Ronnie Barnard

  “We do not belong to anyone,” Jason said, staying as relaxed as the commander. “We are people—fully cognizant and free people. There is nothing you or anyone can do about that, Commander.” Jason watched the soldiers for signs of attack.

  The commander looked genuinely surprise at Jason’s answer. He shook his head and crossed his hand over his chest.

  “Those are brave words, son. Where do you think you are going to go where we won’t find you?” he said with a small laugh.

  “Oh, I’ll be right under your nose the whole time.” Jason winked. Then he took the commander’s profile and dropped it on himself, slowly morphing until the commander could have been staring at his own twin.

  The commander’s face fell, and gasps escaped from the soldiers surrounding the crater.

  What are you doing? Now they will attack for sure. We must move and move now, shift to cheetah form? she thought loud, looking annoyed.

  They wanted to use us as lab rats, you know. I had to show him that they will never find us, that any search would be fruitless.

  He shifted back to himself.

  “What the hell are you!” the commander shouted, for the first time showing fear. He pulled his pistol from his side. “Fire!” he screamed, and opened up in Jason and Core’s direction.

  They both moved at the same time, and the world slowed as they accelerated. Bullets seemed to hang in the air; the commander’s face was contorted in a scream that slowly emanated from his mouth in pulsing waves. Jason and Core ran nimbly around the bullets and past the commander, up the path that had formed behind him, and glanced back as bullets zoned in to where they had been a moment ago. Jason glanced over the scene—the crater’s sides were littered with soldiers, all firing past the commander. The sounds dragged out from every machine gun, side arm and high calibre shot gun.

  If the military ever got their hands on this type of technology, Jason realized, the world was going to become a very dangerous place. Core and he would have to make sure that no one ever acquired the serum. If anyone did, it would be their responsibility to ensure the survival of the human race.

  Then he turned and ran with her, through the main gate. They shifted into cheetahs, accelerating and heading towards the coast.

  We can slow down past Browns Plains. Maybe we can take a taxi or the train from there. We need to pick up some cash from the bank before we leave, he said.

  “Sure, we are far enough away in any case. The Electro Magnetic Pulse from the blast knocked out all electronics for two kilometres...did you enjoy that?” she laughed.

  “Thoroughly, yes,” he said with a smirking smile as they ran. “By this time they have probably realized we are not there anymore. But they don’t have any electronics, not even a mobile phone. It will take them some time to get organized again.” He laughed with her as they slowed down to a walk, approaching the train station at the bottom of Logan. Jason shifted into himself while still in the relative privacy of the bushes.

  “Not yourself” Core smiled, as she shifted into a blond goddess.

  Jason looked her up and down with an approving grin and shifted into a dark stranger that would fit with her beauty. Together they walked across the busy highway. Her stomach growled. “Oops!” She giggled. “I need food.”

  “We are almost at the station, let’s hope the snack machines are working,” Jason replied with a grin. He pulled her closer, putting his arm around her.

  The train station was a large building with curved roof; the walls were white, and “Logan Station” was written in large silver letters on the front wall.

  They entered the station through the glass sliding doors situated below the name. There were a few people around, but no doubt later the station would be bustling with commuters on their way to work. The top section of the side walls of the building were lined with large windows that let natural light flood into the building, creating a feeling of open space. Jason and Core stopped at the nearest teller machine, which was built into the wall near the ticket machines. Jason made a connection to his account and withdrew ten thousand dollars.

  “This will be enough to get us out of the country,” he said.

  “Where are we going to get passports?” she asked him, watching as a couple moved towards the ticket counter. They bought two tickets to Central and walked hand-in-hand down the stairs to the departure platform.

  “Could we not fake a passport with this?” He produced a small, passport sized document in his hand. A second later, it solidified into his passport, and he handed it to Core for her approval. She took it and paged through the document—it looked and felt authentic.

  “This is great work! It will get you through a check post. Of course, I will need to hack the government database and add myself as a citizen; else we will be stopped at immigration control.” She handed the passport back to him with an admiring smile. He took the passport and it melted back into his hand as he reabsorbed the Nanites.

  “Neat trick, huh!” He smiled from ear to ear as they reached the vending machine.

  She held onto his arm. “Or we could shift into a parcel and post ourselves,” she offered.

  His mouth fell open. “I had not thought about that...it is probably the better option,” he said. A wicked smile played around his lips. “Well...now that you mention it. You can always go as my luggage, and I can continue on first class.”

  She watched his face for a moment. Then she stomped off to the nearest bench and sat down, with her arms folded over her chest.

  Jason burst out laughing at the sight of her small tantrum. He turned back and inserted a twenty dollar note into the machine and punched the numbers that would dispense chips. He bought several bags of snack foods and also a few sodas. Then he walked back to where Core sat on the bench and held a packet of chips out to her. “Peace offering?” He smiled.

  She grabbed the packet and opened it, hungrily shoving a handful into her mouth. She burst out laughing when chips tumbled from her lips to land on her lap. “Of course, you big oaf.” She smiled.

  “We will upgrade you, then.” He giggled and sat down. He opened a soda for Core and she finished it in a few swallows. When she had demolished the chips and the sodas, she smiled up at him. “That feels somewhat better.”

  She grabbed him around the waist and leaned in under his arm. Together they walked to the stairs and to the bottom of the platform. There were several people waiting near the edge; some were listening to music, while others gazed at the crowd or read books. A blond man in a white T-Shirt and blue denim walked towards them from the stairs they had just come down.

  “Jason, Core?” the man in denim said, stopping a meter away from them. “May I speak with you? I am on your side,” he said. His blue eyes twinkled slightly.

  “What do you mean—our side?” Jason said apprehensively. He looked around for signs of others and moved to stand between the man and Core.

  “I mean you no harm...but you will need these.” He held out a yellow, A4-sized envelope.

  “What are those?” Core asked suspiciously.

  “Your passports and the documentation you will need to gain access to the U.S. I can explain more when we get on the next train. They will be here any moment.” The man moved towards the approaching train. They followed him suspiciously, but not too frightened. After all, they were the most powerful creatures on the planet, and did not have much to fear. As the train slowed, they opened the envelope and looked inside. Jason pulled out two U.S. passports and other papers. The first passport had a photo of Core, with the name Jessica Saunders. He showed it to Core and flipped open the second passport. It had his photo and the name Mathew Saunders. They looked at each other and then back at the man.

  “Who are they? What is going on?” Jason demanded.

  “I will explain as soon as we are out of here.” They looked suspiciously through the windows as lightning struck outside the station, hitting the ground in three places. The sound of electricity burned the air. It sounded
like several million bees swarming around the queen, but amplified multiple times. Jason and Core looked out through the windows at the top of the train station, and saw only patchy clouds.

  “They are here, move now! Shift, become someone else.” The man pulled them onto the train, quickly shifting into an old man with a white beard and hat. Core and Jason both shifted simultaneously to other people amongst gasps of surprise—the passengers ran in all directions to get away. The three of them followed the people who scattered away from the train.

  “Come, follow me.” He led them down the platform, passing two doors, and then entered back into the train in the third coach. He sat down on a bench and motioned for them to sit next to him.

  Moments later, a man clothed in black, with dark grey skin and luminous red eyes, walked into the train car. The atmosphere turned putrid; waves of fear washed over the faces in the car. The man glowered with suspicion, slowly making his way through the crowd and pushing people out of the way. Low grunts come from deep inside his chest. He approached Jason and Core, who were careful to act as terrified as the other passengers, which wasn’t too hard. His eyes caused fear to rise in them as it held them captive, searching deep inside. It left them feeling naked, like they had lost all privacy, as if he could reach inside their innermost secrets and pull them out.

  Then, he shifted into a liquid form, breaking the window near their heads and pouring out onto the platform, where he assumed his original form, joined by two others exactly like him. Jason and Core watched the men in black disappear from the platform in a black mist.

  Gasps and confusion reigned in the car—children were screaming, and everyone talked at the same time. The doors closed and the train accelerated out of the station, heading towards the city. Jason and Core looked at the horror-filled faces and then at the mysterious man next to them. He held a finger over his mouth, signalling them to stay silent.

  Jason felt as the man offered to make a mental connection. He allowed it.

  That was them! The things that attacked me on the highway. What are they? Jason shouted, watching him in surprise. And who the hell are you? Jason added with a bewildered look on his face.

  “Please relax and try to stay calm. I will explain, the man answered. Our stop is at the next station. It’s not safe to stay.” He stood up and motioned them to follow him to the door, where he held onto the rail. Chaos still reigned in the train car—people talked over each other about what they had seen or what they wished they had seen, a child was still crying and wind gusted through the broken window.

  My name is Eric Drumal. I am a messenger sent back from the future. Their mouths fell open in disbelief, but what they had just witnessed told a bigger story. My mission is to get you out of the country and help you establish yourselves.

  He looked at them, assessing.

  In the year twenty-one eleven, you are the leaders of the resistance against the Dark Breed. Men like the one you saw just a few minutes ago, at the station.

  Jason and Core nodded to show that they understood.

  Core, you sent me back here from a hundred years into the future. I got you the passports and paperwork. Another has been sent back further in time, to establish your means. You will find in that envelope the account numbers to your funds. His mission was to set up corporations, invest in the stock market and build the money you would need to fund your future. Eric watched the next station draw near. A car is waiting for us outside the station. It will take you to the airport, where your private jet is ready to take you to the U.S. I understand that this is a lot to take in at once.

  Um, yes. Core’s thought was a bit cheeky.

  Do you believe we will just take your word for it? I mean, time travel from the future, “the resistance”? This is all a big joke, right? Jason laughed, looking around the car at the people who stared at him for laughing at nothing. The train pulled into the station and the door opened. Passengers pushed them out through the train doors, almost running to get out and away.

  Jason and Core walked in silence, following Eric.

  The sky was clouding over again, and a fine misty rain had started to fall. As he promised, a white SUV with black windows was waiting for them. The driver stood at attention outside the back door, holding an umbrella as he waited for them. He looked as normal as anybody else.

  “My name is Joseph and I will be your driver.” He held the door open, taking Core’s hand and helping her enter the SUV. Jason followed, and Eric got in the front seat next to the driver. Eric shifted into his normal form, but this time he was clothed all in white, complete with a white, fedora-style hat. Jason and Core also changed back into their normal forms. The driver pulled the SUV out of the parking lot and headed in the direction of Gold Coast.

  “The future is always uncertain, but when we change the past, we create an alternative reality that continues. The original reality is obliterated as time moves forward on the new path. You are probably familiar with the time paradox theory. It has been proved to be true.”

  “As I speak, my time continuum is being destroyed. I have eight minutes left to tell you what I know before I disappear from existence.”

  The SUV turned onto the Pacific highway, heading south. Jason opened his mouth, but Eric held a hand up. “Please let me finish—I don’t have much time. You will find many more instructions about what we have put in place for you in the envelope and on the plane.

  “Moments before you blew up the nuclear reactor, Damian Vasic discovered the rats you used for your experiment in the Holoroom.” They both sat up in alarm—no one was supposed to know about the rats. The program had been shut down and terminated. “He survived the nuclear blast when you tried to take him out in the military zone, but barely made it back to the facility. He blew up the tunnel after killing two men who were standing guard. He was badly injured and in need of repairs, and he found the Holoroom, where he went to rest and recover.”

  “Then the first explosion dropped the rats from their hiding place. He found the place where they had been hidden and did not recognize what it was at first...but it took him only a second to realize the potential of what he held in his hands. He uploaded into one of the rats and assimilated the body of the other. He shifted into a cat and ran out of the facility just before the building collapsed. In the confusion, no one noticed his escape.”

  “I did,” Jason said.

  The man frowned at the interruption. He continued. “But, as you know, the brain power of a cat is not sufficient, so he searched for a way to increase his mental capabilities. He shifted into a snake and bit a bum who lived on the streets in Forest Lake. He injected the poor soul with the serum and watched him crawl in agony...for hours. Once the bum was converted, Damian uploaded into him and assimilated the snake. Damian Vasic found his body,” the man said, looking out the window with regret. “Several others have been sent to try and stop him from becoming,” he said, looking even sadder. “The fact that we are having this conversation means that they have failed. There is no going back to a time you have already been to, unfortunately—a problem with double paradox. I don’t really understand it all, and don’t need to in order to fulfil my mission.” He looked at Jason and Core, his blue eyes filled with sympathy and longing and...awe?

  “I need to get you away safely. Until I disappear you are in danger, but once I am gone your future will be safe for a moment. After that, the cycle will begin again. But this time, you will have more help. It is up to you to destroy Vasic. In the future I come from, you took it on yourselves to do so...but too late, maybe. Maybe, if you start now....”

  The man seemed to realize that time was slipping, and blinked. “Those things you saw,” he said, looking into their amazed faces with calm placidity. “We call them the ‘Dark Breed’. They are meaningless killers, manufactured by Damian. He finds the scum of the earth, converts them, and then takes their minds and twists them.... Then he uploads them back. They come out insane and mentally unstable, but fear Damian more than
anything else. They follow his orders to the ends of the earth and take pride in destruction, in killing especially.”

  Lightning struck the road surface in three places at once a couple of kilometres ahead. Where the bright streaks met with the ground, the air seemed to ripple like water. The lightning bolts hissed as three Dark Breed stepped through the hazy atmosphere. “They are time travellers from the future,” the man reinforced. “We only need to stay ahead of them for another five minutes. Joseph, please take the next turnoff.” Joseph pulled the car over onto the off-ramp at Surfers Paradise.

  “Why don’t they just stop us here? Why are they so far off?” Core pinched her brow and looked at Eric from shadowed eyes.

  “Pinpointing the exact place and time someone will be is very difficult without exact information.” Eric looked back at her. “Where were you at precisely six o’clock this morning? If you are off by a second, or even half a second, the distance can be enormous. Their choice of location was actually very precise, considering that we are travelling in a car doing a hundred and ten.” He turned and gazed out at the road ahead. Three car-sized wolves came speeding towards them down the highway. Cars veered and crashed into the guard rails on the sides of the highway, slamming on their brakes and sending streams of white smoke out behind them. The wolves veered off the highway when they spotted the SUV on the off-ramp. “Joseph, keep going no matter what, just get them to the airport. See you soon....” He smiled and nodded at the driver.

  A wide grin spread across Joseph’s face. “You too, my friend.”

  Eric turned to Jason and Core. “It has been an absolute pleasure serving you. Remember my name; please find me in thirty years. I will be dying of cancer in the Mercy hospital in London, England. I am looking forward to that day.” He opened the door and looked back at them with a grin on his face. “I will distract them. Stay low and stay safe.” With that, he jumped out. Jason and Core watched through the back window as Eric skidded to a halt on the road top. He gave a small bow and a wave before he turned to face the daemons. Don’t worry about me—my time stream is almost over. But we will meet again, he said.