Rise of the Fallen: Ascensionis

by Danny R Negron

  She nods and says, “Okay, Luwig.”

  Dr. Frankenstein takes a long needle and gently inserts it into her spine. He tells her softly, “Stay very still.”

  After typing several commands into his laptop, he becomes very surprised at what he has just discovered. The doctor strokes his goatee and whispers to himself, “Unbelievable. She's actually growing.”

  Phoebe becomes impatient and asks, “This feels weird. Are we almost done?”

  He removes the needle and tells her in a serious tone, “There. We're finished. No running in the hallway!”

  Phoebe laughs loudly and runs out of his office. Dr. Frankenstein stands up and says to himself, “Nice touch, Jerry. Nice touch, indeed.”

  Later that evening, the dining area is bustling with activity as everyone eats and talks to each other. Queen Thessalonike rises to her feet and they all become silent soon afterwards. She says distinctly, “We have spent all of our lives on Earth. This will be a difficult, and perhaps even an overwhelmingly strenuous experience, for most of us. With the help of each and every one of you, I have the utmost confidence that we will prevail...and the time will come for us to take what rightfully belongs to us.”

  The deafening sound of applause is heard and the queen sits back down on her chair. Dr. Frankenstein kisses her hand and says, “Well said, my dear.”

  He looks ahead to see his brother outside of the dining room carrying Phoebe on his shoulders. She has her arms extended and is imitating the sound of an airplane. This makes him laugh and say to Alexandria, “Look at those two.”

  She smiles and replies, “Yeah. It's so sweet that Uncle Wolf finally has someone he can love.”

  Dr. Frankenstein becomes saddened at the fact that his daughter had to make the sacrifice of leaving Joshua behind. As always, he cannot find the right words to comfort her. He finally says in a gentle voice, “Konfect. We will come back for him.”

  Alexandria is quite shocked to discover that her father hasn't forgotten about him. She appreciates his concern and replies, while holding back her tears, “Thanks, dad.”

  Barbara takes a sip of wine and asks Dr. Frankenstein, “Hey, doc? Now that things have calmed down a bit...I was wondering if you can explain why you've been keeping an eye on me for so long.”

  He takes a deep breath to prepare himself for the story that must be told. “The year was 1992. Your parents, Manuel and Wanda were avid mountain climbers and decided that year to climb Pico Duarte located in the Dominican Republic. While making their final preparations, they saw a little girl, about seven years old, hiding behind a tree. Your father was oddly mesmerized by her eyes and actually needed to be shaken violently to break the spell. After spending hours trying to locate the girl's parents, they decided to hand her over to the local authorities.”

  Dr. Frankenstein pauses to take a sip of wine and continues. “Needless to say, they were not at all pleased. They informed your parents that the little girl was in fact a Ciguapa. Legend has it that the Ciguapa can bewitch anyone with the sound of their voice or by looking into their eyes. My father arrived hours later to have her sent to Area 51 for further study. Now...your parents were struggling for many years to have a baby of their own and were unsuccessful. Your mother pleaded with my father to let her adopt the girl and raise her in a loving environment. After giving it much thought, he felt that the girl would benefit from having a normal life with minimal intervention by the government. So he spoke with his superiors and they agreed. After that, my father passed to me the responsibility of looking after her...or I should say you, Barbara.”

  Barbara is taken aback by the sheer magnitude of this revelation. She asks Dr. Frankenstein, “Why didn't they tell me?”

  He places his hand on hers and replies, “Because they wanted you to have a normal life. Now you understand why you were such a successful hostage negotiator.”

  She lowers her head and is simply speechless. He tries to comfort her by saying, “Their love for you was very strong, Barbara. Never doubt that for a minute.”

  She looks up at him and says, “Thank you for telling me.”

  After the dinner, Sajjad is gazing at the stars from one of the largest windows in Atlantis. Henry stands next to him and asks, “Hey, big guy. You okay?”

  “The universe is truly vast, my friend. I'm simply marveling at all of this and imagining the wonders yet to be discovered.”

  Dr. Frankenstein and Queen Thessalonike join them a few minutes later. The doctor says, “We want to inform the both of you that our wedding will take place on Meropis.”

  Henry smiles at them and replies, “Congratulations to the both of you.”

  Alexandria appears next to her parents and adds, “It's about time. Right?”

  Days pass and Atlantis can be seen entering the atmosphere of Meropis. Commander Derceto tells Queen Thessalonike, “We have entered the planet, my queen.”

  The queen looks at her and replies, “Our new home, Derceto.”

  Alexandria excitedly says, “I'm going to dive in as soon as we get anchored.”

  Dr. Frankenstein tells her in a serious tone, “That is out of the question, konfect. Our team of marine biologists need to study the organisms and their behaviors beforehand.”

  She lowers her head in disappointment and says, “Awww.”

  Derceto explains, “It will only take two days, princess.”

  The enormous city makes a tremendous splash as it dives into the crystalline water. Phoebe stares in astonishment and tugs on Wolf's leg while shouting, “Look at that, Wolf!”

  Melanie smiles at her and says to Adam, “We're actually on an alien planet.”

  “Let's just hope the natives don't spit acid.”

  She punches his shoulder and asks, “Are you trying to scare me?”

  Rikki and Haruka are nearby holding each other's hands and observing the extraordinary spectacle. Rikki says, “I still can't believe that this is happening, Gina. Sorry...Haruka.”

  “I know, right? Just a few days ago, I was riding my motorcycle down the streets of Tokyo.”

  They are startled by Queen Thessalonike's voice saying, “I apologize for the intrusion. I need to speak with the both of you.”

  The young women turn around and give her their attention. Rikki asks, “What is it, your highness?”

  “The both of you have displayed a tremendous amount of courage during our escape from Earth. Especially you, Haruka.”

  Haruka bows her head and says, “Thank you.”

  Thessalonike continues, “I wish to have the both of you become my Lieutenants. Our soldiers need to be trained and I feel that there are none as qualified as the both of you.”

  Rikki and Haruka are stunned by the queen's request and, after a moment of silence, Rikki says, “You can count on me.” Haruka nods and adds affirmatively, “It will be an honor.”

  Dr. Frankenstein stands next to David and asks him, “Are you nervous, David?”

  He looks at him and replies, “Me? Nah...I'm just thinking about all of Earth's historical artifacts that might get lost. If that happens, we'll have nothing to show for ourselves.”

  The doctor clears his throat and says, “I need a favor.”

  David becomes concerned and says, “Uh, oh.”

  Ludwig takes a deep breath and asks, “Will you be our koumbaro at the wedding?”

  David slaps him on his back and replies sarcastically, “Soooo...Finally slipping the noose around your neck? Just kidding...of course, I will, old friend.”

  Barbara asks Indrid, “How do you feel about this?”

  While staring at the ocean, she replies, “I feel...at peace, Barbara. This planet does not have the hatred and violence of Earth. I can stay here forever but..I felt love on Earth. That is a unique emotion.”

  Henry appears behind them and adds, “Very true, Indrid. The sooner we get off this planet the less time we have to pollute it.”

  Barbara nods in agreement and asks, “We are like parasites, aren't we?”r />
  As soon as Atlantis reaches the ocean floor, numerous anchors are released and get lodged into the ground. The entire city vibrates as it get pulled until it finally becomes attached completely to the earth of Meropis. Everyone inside of the metropolis cheers and claps at the completion of the long journey. Queen Thessalonike sighs with relief and sits down on her throne. She tells Commander Derceto, “Our new life begins.”

  “Yes, indeed, my queen. We have already completed the preparations for your wedding.”

  The queen grins and informs her, “We will proceed with that tomorrow, Derceto. For now, let's just take this moment to marvel at the wonders of this planet.”

  Wolf cautiously extends his hand to touch the window and grunts with fear as his finger becomes wet. Phoebe hair turns yellow as she laughs and says, “Don't be scared, Wolf! The city has a field that lets us touch the water but it can't come inside! Awesome, right?”

  He calms down and says, “Wolf feels better.”

  She takes his hand and pulls on it while saying excitedly, “Come on! I want to see the new fishies at the pool! It's a lot bigger!”

  He nods and follows her. Dr. Frankenstein warns them by saying in a loud tone, “You two be careful, now. The ocean life has not been studied yet.”

  He looks at Derceto and advises, “Maybe we should activate the interior field as well, commander.”

  She nods and, while smiling, replies, “I agree with you, doctor.”

  Adam stares at the ocean of the alien plant and whispers to himself, “This is amazing. I wish you were here to see this, mom and dad.”

  All of a sudden, he gets hit in the back of his head by a water balloon. Melanie is heard laughing hysterically. Adam turns around, wipes away the water from his eyes and yells, “Oh, you are so doomed!”

  “Oooooh, look at how scared I am!”, she taunts while throwing another balloon at him. He ducks to avoid it and runs at her while picking up five water balloons. Melanie screams as she runs away from him.

  Barbara approaches Rikki and Haruka with a smile on her face. She says to them, “I heard the news! Lieutenants of Atlantis, huh?”

  Haruka laughs and replies jokingly, “God! That sounds like an awful sci-fi novel.”

  Rikki laughs at her response and says, “Well, I can't wait to get started. It feels great that she would give normal humans like us that kind of responsibility.”

  Haruka raises her right hand to show her prosthetic and asks, “You call this normal?”

  Rikki jabs her with her elbow and replies, “You shut up.”

  Barbara finds their chemistry quite adorable and smiles. She then asks Haruka, “How's your father handling this change?”

  Her demeanor becomes very serious and replies, “He's still trying to get used to all of this.”

  Barbara understands completely. It was a bit overwhelming for her so she can imagine how it must be for someone at Ryu's age. She tells her, “Give him some time. It was hard for me so I can imagine how it must be for him.”

  Henry arrives and, while pointing at the ocean in front of them, says loudly, “Holy shit! Look at that thing!”

  They are all taken aback by what looks like a whale with the head of a tarantula and a scorpion's tail approaching Atlantis. It lets out a bellowing sound, almost like a deep foghorn, and swims away minutes later. They are all pale with fright as they look at each other.

  Dr. Frankenstein strokes his goatee after witnessing this and says to everyone, “As you all can plainly see, there is much to learn about the ocean life of Meropis. I recommend that everyone remain inside for the time being.”

  Alexandria and arrives with terrified expressions on her face and asks her father, “Dad? What the hell was that?”

  He pauses for a moment and replies, “Just don't go out there, konfect. For now, consider everything here dangerous. That creature may have been blind and, much like a bat, uses sound to detect objects in its path. But this is just a theory.”

  David gives Henry a quick tap on his shoulder and asks, “Up for another round of pool? I need to get my mind off of this weird shit.”

  Henry chuckles and replies, “Sure. You can ask the queen for a night light if you need it.”

  David pushes him and says, “Harharhar, get moving funny man. Your lines are as bad as your pool skills.”

  Terry continues to remain frozen with fear and says, with a shaky voice, to Indrid, “That has to be the ugliest thing I've ever seen. I won't be able to sleep tonight. Or ever, for that matter.”

  Indrid explains, “As long as you remain inside of Atlantis, you will be safe.”

  Melanie asks her while petrified with fear, “What if it comes back with its friends to attack us?”

  “I sensed curiosity and not aggression, Miss Jones. Don't be afraid.”

  Commander Derceto stands next to Queen Thessalonike and says, “I have ordered the marine biologists to begin their research.”

  The queen nods and asks her, “How do you feel, Derceto? You can speak freely.”

  Derceto appreciates how the queen treats her as a close friend who respects her honest opinions. She says openly, “Thank you. You are not only my queen, but also a dear friend. Although it may take time to become accustomed to this new world, I believe that we are more than capable of living here.”

  Thessalonike takes her hand and says, “Thank you, Derceto. I just needed to be reassured.”

  The commander bows her head and admits, “Also..The creature was quite...hideous.”

  The queen laughingly says, “Yes...I agree.”

  Haruka tells Rikki with a feeling of concern, “I have to go and check on father. He's gotta be scared shitless.”

  “I understand. I'll wait here.”

  Barbara watches Haruka walk away and says to Rikki, “I hope her father's okay.”

  She shakes her head and replies, “I feel so bad for him. One minute, you're living your life as you always do and the next...you're on an alien planet with monsters in every corner. God knows I'm scared out of my mind.”

  A door slides open and Haruka asks in Japanese as she walks inside, “Father? How are you?”

  She finds him sitting at the table. Ryu takes a sip of his tea while having a serious expression on his face. Haruka sits down in front of him and folds her hands. She asks, [J]”Father?”[J]

  He looks up at her and grins as he replies, [J]”I do not belong in this world of yours, my dear Haruka.”[J]

  She becomes preoccupied with his behavior and says, [J]”Father. I am sorry. We'll be safe here, however. Don't worry.”[J]

  Ryu allows a tear to roll down his cheek and says softly in English, “I am proud of you...and I love you very much. Always fight...never surrender.”

  Without warning, he places the tip of his gun into his mouth and pulls the trigger. Haruka screams, “No!” and pushes the table aside. She holds him in his arms and yells while crying, “Father! Don't leave me! No!”

  Rikki arrives and covers her mouth with both of her hands in shock. She also begins crying and shouts, “Oh, my God!”

  Barbara arrives and places her hand on her forehead as she sees the lifeless body of Ryu Miyazaki. Haruka looks up at her with swollen eyes and says, “He killed himself, Barbara. My father killed himself.”

  Barbara and Rikki kneel down beside her. They both hug her tightly and the three cry uncontrollably. As he stands at the doorway, Dr. Frankenstein tells Indrid in a low voice, “This is one of the reasons we have our code of secrecy, Indrid. It can be too much for the mind to handle.”

  Indrid takes a moment to think and replies, “It does not matter if I save lives, Ludwig. The outcome seems to always be the same.”

  He briefly places his hand on her shoulder and, while walking away, says, “Don't be too hard on yourself, my dear. There is an old saying. You win some...you lose some.”

  The following day, a priest begins the Orthodox wedding ceremony by blessing the rings of both the bride and the groom. He takes one ring and place
s it on the forehead of Queen Thessalonike as she holds her candle. Afterwards, he takes the other ring and places it on Dr. Frankenstein's forehead while he holds his candle. The rings are put on their right hands and, a minute later, David approaches the couple. As part of Greek tradition, he exchanges the rings three times which signifies that in married life the weakness of one partner will be compensated for by the strength of the other, the imperfections of one by the other.

  Moments later, the priest takes the Stéfana out of the stefanothikes and places them on the heads of the bride and groom. David then exchanges the crowns three times as witness to the sealing of the union. The couple joins right hands as the priest appeals to God to make them one in flesh and spirit and grant them the joy of children. Alexandria cannot hold back her tears as she watches her parents become husband and wife.

  The priest now begins the ritual of the drinking of the common cup. On the altar table is a wine decanter with wine. After reading Bible passages, the priest pours the wine into the single cup and the bride and groom take three sips of wine from the shared cup. Afterwards, the priest leads them with their hands joined, in a circle around the holy table as they take their first steps as husband and wife. To conclude the ceremony, the priest removes the crowns and tells the newlyweds to go forward in peace.

  Everyone rises to their feet to give Dr. Frankenstein and Queen Thessalonike a standing ovation. As they both clap, Barbara asks a saddened Rikki, “Where's Haruka? She told me that she wasn't going to miss this.”

  “Haruka decided not to come at the last minute. She's in the training area right now.”

  They both gaze in wonderment at the sight of the very tall Oceanus stand beside the newlyweds. Physically, he is very similar to Queen Thessalonike. With the same skin complexion, hair and eyes.

  Barbara waves at them while worrying about Haruka's state of mind. Having lost the most important person in her life, she may very well be plotting some sort of revenge...or fall into a deep depression. Rikki looks at Barbara and tells her, “When the time comes, I'm going to kill Diana with my bare hands.”