Transcending the Legacy

by Venessa Kimball

  Hum.

  Hum.

  Hum.

  Hum.

  I try to concentrate on the patterned sound to ignore every scorching breath I take. The scratchy croak I release is slowing, my body enforcing its own shut down.

  * * *

  The feeling of cold metal on my back wakes me again. I swallow expecting the pain, but it doesn’t rise in my throat like before. I feel a mask over my face as I become more alert. Instinctively I reach for it to pull it away, but before I can a strong hand covers mine keeping me from removing it. “You don’t want to do that. Leave it,” says the man hovering over me.

  I try to sit up, but once again, the man’s strong hold holds me down. I meet his almond shaped eyes as he says calming, “Just breathe.”

  I inhale the oxygen pumping through the mask deeply and I feel his arms release mine. He trusts that I won’t try to escape now that I am breathing air. Another man comes to stand on the other side of me. He looks familiar. Were they Sondians? Dobrians? How are they able to breathe the tainted air that suffocates me? “Who are you?” I ask through the plastic mask.

  The man with the crossed arms speaks first. “Michi.”

  He nods to the man across from him, hovering over me and says, “This is Katsuro.”

  Katsuro speaks in native Japanese through his gruff sigh then chides me in English, “Where are Sam and Corinna?”

  How does this man know Sam and Corinna and what makes him think I know them? Seemingly reading my questioning thought he asks, “You don’t remember me do you?”

  I shake my head slowly trying to think back to my connections in Japan, but my mind is scrambled. I can’t pin point where I know him from. Katsuro looks up at Michi and scoffs, “So much for servitude. Bastard.”

  Michi’s eyes leave Katsuro’s and glare back at me. “It is ironic to see you in this predicament, Michael. You see, I am a Dobrian. You do not know me. But, Katsuro, he was one of your major Sondian connections here in Japan. Used to aid in mass abductions and enforce Sondian implantations.”

  The abductions. I remember enforcing them through handlers. I look at Katsuro and try to remember his face. My mind is so cluttered suddenly, I draw a blank.

  “I can’t remember,” I mumble.

  Katsuro chimes in sarcastically, “Another side effect of the air the unimplanted breathe in our redesigned world.” He moves in closer to me and says, “You had Sam Crest and Corinna Cain working my club to recruit unknowing men and women slated for Sonidian implants. Last I heard, you were murdered.”

  He continues his rant in Japanese.

  Michi growls and hisses words at him in their native tongue, forcing him to clam up immediately.

  I clear my throat. “I was beyond our world, our universe. I do remember escaping death and passing through the wormhole during the intersection.”

  Strangely enough, I can remember being beyond the veil perfectly. “I made a pact with the beings beyond the veil of our universe. I granted them passage to our universe and world as long as they protected me.” I quickly correct myself, “Us. I mean us.”

  Katsuro’s face reddens as he yells, “You gave up our world, you selfish idiot!”

  Michi places his hand on Katsuro’s chest, a warning to back off. Katsuro backs away and begins to pace, mumbling in Japanese again.

  Michi looks back down at me as he says to Katsuro, “Doing that would make us just as bad as him. We need to give him the choice.”

  Confused by his words I ask, “Choice for what?”

  Michi says flatly, “To be implanted.”

  “I’m already implanted,” I say correcting them.

  Michi shakes his head, “Not with the modified Copula.”

  Modified? What does he mean modified?

  Michi continues to speak, “The intersection has altered our climate and shifted the amounts of trace elements in our world. The air we breathe is no longer as oxygenated as our bodies need.”

  He points to the mask on my face. “There is only a small supply left of that. Not enough for us to survive.”

  I look at Katsuro, standing their stoically watching me breathe in this Dobrian oxygen and can only wonder why he caved to the Dobrian fellowship. I hiss at him, “Traitor.”

  Katsuro lunges forward, takes hold of my shirt, and pulls me upright. He yells lividly, “Traitor? You have betrayed your race, you son of a bitch!” He releases me hard to the gurney and snickers, “You Believed they would be loyal to you, respect our race? They aren’t going to grant you safety, you stupid man. No one is safe! Not even you!”

  Michi holds his composure as he says evenly, “Those beings that you granted passage, they have not come to our world to co-habitate. They have been taking humans and consuming them. Killing the other life forms that have tried to seek shelter in our world during the intersection. Those beings you entrusted are making us slaves to use as assassins wired to destroy humankind. Sondians, Dobrians, average civilians, they don’t discriminate. The Sondians and Dobrians fellowships are no longer divided. After the first wave of the climate shift, then trace element shift…”

  Element shift, Climate changes, alterations, a new modified Copula, the beings killing us...I put each piece together.

  Michi pauses, letting me work through the logic of how our world, our environment had evolved then dissolved the lines between the warring fellowships.

  He continues, “The shutdown of every government run entity in the world was occurring. We needed to step in to try and save as many as we could.”

  I continued to listen to Michi relay details of how our world has changed, evolved, how the beings from beyond the veil have invaded us, how a new modified Copula via the Dobrian fellowship has saved the majority of the humans on the Earth by implanting the civilians and reimplanting the fallen Sondians. I ask about Gabriel Griffin, wondering if he has accepted re-implantation.

  Katsuro replies, “He killed himself after the first climate and element shift. When he was gone, the government took that as a sign that there was no hope.”

  Katsuro looks at Michi. “Death began claiming all of us faster. Michi and a team came to us, offered us asylum. They told us about the modified Copula and the need of implantation to adapt to the changes and alterations of our world’s environment. From that moment on, we were no longer divided by opposing fellowships. We became a united race on a mission to save as many human lives as possible.”

  My eyes drop from Katsuro and I rest my gaze on a small, metal tray to my right.

  Michi says, “We are offering you life, Michael. You will not survive beyond today if you are not implanted with the new Copula.”

  Michi explains how the device will work intravenously, adjusting the elements within my body quickly. As he explains, I think back to conversations my father had with me on his death bed, still training me to take the reins of our legacy and stop the Onoch’s from concealing the universes beyond ours. “Don’t be deceived, Michael. The Onoch’s will try to stop you, tell you that you are wrong, that what lies beyond our known universe mustn’t be tampered with. They will claim our salvation rests with them, but it does not. We know the truth. They have made contact time and time again with our world. Every time it fell on deaf ears, until they touched our family. All those decades ago, we listened. Now, the salvation of our world is in your hands. You must seek them out beyond our universe and grant them passage.”

  I feel warm fluid slip from my eye, roll down my cheekbone, and pool on the rim of the oxygen mask. Have I done what you wanted father? I have ushered in an infestation on our species! Our whole legacy was a deception; tainted just like the air our race is forced to breathe now!

  I close my eyes. “I do not deserve it.”

  I ignore Michi and Katsuro’s rampant onset of questions and breathe in a deep, long, breath. I open my eyes and connect with Michi before I pull the mask from my face. I throw it to the ground and concentrate on getting out of there. The yells commanding me to stop, to let them save
me, dissolve as does the rest of the room.

  * * *

  A familiar bellow snaps me out of my soothing flashback. I’m huddled in the corner of a storage room, surrounded by supplies. The small amount of oxygen I was given is expiring quickly with every release of breathe. My lungs are with fire again.

  I hear a yell coming from the other side of the door saying, “Run! Go, go, go!”

  It’s Michi. The door in front of me shakes my feet as I use my strength to push against it once again.

  “Michael! Let me save you! It’s not too late!” hisses Michi, pleading with me to open the door.

  Before I can respond, I hear Michi release the most excruciating scream I have ever heard from a man. It only lasts for a second, then it is cut off, disconnected, detached. The thud of his body dropping to the ground solidifies that what is beyond that door did not want him. The being that ended him had come for me, to either save me in its own warped way or kill me quickly like Michi. I move my foot away from the door, clumsily turn the handle, fall back against the wall and wait for it to take me.

  The captain, Jason Briggs, breaks the silence that has overcast our team of guardians and soldiers. “We have about an hour until dawn,” he bellows.

  He directs two soldiers, “Head up to ground level and give Lieutenant Decker the thumbs up to send the caravan team down.”

  I figure that is the team that will accompanying us on our journey to Georgia.

  Briggs looks at each of us. “I suggest you grab a bite to eat before we leave. It may be a while before we get a chance to eat again. We’ll meet back at the trucks in T-minus fifty minutes.”

  Briggs and his men quickly file out of the room, but all the guardians remain motionless. Didn’t seem like anyone was eager to get food. After our discussion, my appetite was non-existent. Daniel clears his throat. “I don’t want to eat either, but we have to keep up our strength.”

  He looks down at the ground and wrings his hands together as he leaves the room. One at a time, Nick then Luke make their way out of the room. Elisha is followed by Jake and Siobhan. The rest of us, Sebastian, Ezra, Corinna, Sam, Monica, Jesca, and Nate stay behind.

  I lower my head and rework the discussion that transpired moments ago within this room with most of the guardians having similar images and sounds in their dreams over the past few days. Sebastian revealed his reoccurring premonition from childhood. Daniel told us about his premonitions. Piece by piece, through our visions, our connection to this legacy is becoming more and more undeniable.

  I look up again and spot Jesca talking quietly with Ezra. Her brow furrows and her eyes brighten a lighter green as she becomes obviously agitated by something he has said to her. She pulls her hair off of her neck and into a low ponytail. I feel a smile tug at my mouth; she does that when she is getting worked up. The smile never fully forms on the surface of my lips though. I cross my arms as I continue to watch her mannerisms; the way she moves her lips, the way her head tilts as she listens to Ezra speak. Ezra places his hand on her shoulder just then. She closes her eyes in response to his touch and simply nods. When Ezra releases her shoulder, he leaves the room and Jes is left standing there a few feet away from me. I guess she can feel me watching her because she opens her eyes and looks at me. In that moment in time, her eyes glow the brightest olive green I have ever seen. The brightest green I have seen since my vision after returning from beyond the veil.

  Instantly, my thoughts lapse to that dream; the beautiful girl dressed like an ancient native princess, her hair hanging down, framing her face and falling below her shoulders, the glow within her olive eyes from the fiery pit before her. It is the same glow that is evident in the eyes of the woman that stands feet away from me now. This captivating woman that makes my heart soar and break in the same breath.

  She must sense the intensity of my thoughts, because she nervously makes a beeline to the door to leave the room. My attention is drawn away from her by the sound of shuffling feet. Sam and Corinna and the others are slowly leaving the room. I take a minute to compose myself. As I turn around and breathe in deeply, I see Nate, his body half shaded in darkness at the far corner of the room. He was staring a few inches in front of him at the ground, back hunched and arms crossed tightly to his body. I would be lying if I said his disposition didn’t freak me out.

  I call out to him, “Hey, I didn’t see you back there.”

  Typically Nate would have snapped out of his hypnotic stare and relaxed into his calm and easy going temperament, but he doesn’t. He remains hunched over, his forehead wrinkled, and his head lulled to the side. Stunned and afraid, all I can do is stare at his behavior. All of a sudden, he slowly closes his eyes, then opens them, keeping his focus on the same spot on the ground inches in front of him.

  I move toward him cautiously as he repeats the same behavior again, and again, but this time he leans forward. Is he listening to something? I make sure to move around the spot he is staring at as I advance on him, trying not to disturb this catatonic state he is in. When I am next to him, I notice more. His eyes are murky again, just like they were when Jesca and I approached him. I tried to overlook it then, but I can’t now. I’m drawn to his mouth as it quivers fervently, silently mumbling something to himself.

  Hearing the slightest hushed whisper release from his mouth, I lean in closer to decode the solitary conversation under his breath. I hear it again, but I can’t make out words. I pull away from him slowly and continue to watch this hyper-focused behavior. The way he is acting, it makes me think of Sam when we were beyond the veil. Has something gotten to Nate? Every limb in my body is infused with fear and dread thinking that Nate is being consumed before my eyes.

  No, he is fine, he is just exhausted, we all are!

  Pissed by my rambling thoughts working on my nerves, I snap at him. “Hey Nate!”

  No response.

  He snapped out of this state quickly the last time it happened; this one is different. I need to bring him back from wherever he is! Slowly I move my hand to his shoulder. If I have to shake the hell out of him, I will, but I’m hoping just touching his arm will do the trick.

  I’m standing in an open area surrounded by small huts and thatched roofs. It is like a public square or something. Movement out of the corner of my eye draws my attention to people walking in and out of the huts. Some are tan skinned and half clothed while others are fully dressed in animal skin. The tan-skinned women huddle their children close to them and the men carry weapons by their side. A man wearing deer-skin and war-paint on his face comes to stand next to me. I am taken back by his presence, but he doesn’t bat and eye at mine. It’s like he expects me to be there next to him. Where the hell am I?

  I look behind me and see other men gathering next to me with their weapons drawn. I look down at myself and see that I am dressed unlike them. I’m wearing a uniform; blue pants, white button-down shirt, and riding type boots. In my hands, I hold the cold metal of a rifle.

  Then, it clicks. Sebastian’s vision with the Native American Indians, the tribe, the battle. I’m in a vision!

  All at once, I hear a loud call, a warning!

  All of the natives around us rush back into their houses. The childrens’ faces are filled with fear as they cry out for their family. My searching gaze lands on a white man emerging from a hut with a native woman following closely behind him. His uniform, he is dressed like me, but older, mature. Following behind both of them is a beautiful girl. The girl Sebastian and Xander mentioned in their visions. She looks like a princess. The white man rests his mouth on the woman’s forehead, then takes a hold of the girl’s hand and the three of them walk quickly away from the hut. I follow them with my eyes as they walk toward the largest mound beyond the line of huts.

  Abruptly and with no reason, the girl stops walking. The white man and woman look back at her, stopping their own progress. Slowly, the girl’s eyes scan the area, until they land on me. The color of her eyes…I recognize the olive green color of th
em, Jesca’s eyes.

  The rupture of a primal roar coming from behind draws my attention from her and I whip around just in time to see uniformed men just like me charging through the village headed straight for the human barricade the natives and I have formed.

  * * *

  As soon as my hand rests on his shoulder, Nate opens his mouth, brow wrinkled in agonizing concentration, but says nothing. He slowly tilts his head one way and then the other, mouth agape, but words locked away. It’s like he wants to speak, but he can’t. Something is preventing him from talking. I step in front of Nate and place my hands on either side of his face, forcing it to be even with mine. “Open your eyes, Nate!”

  * * *

  The soldiers charging toward me suddenly change. Their eyes blacken and their invading rush transforms from smooth and fluid to coarsen and inhuman. Inhuman like the woman consumed by the occupier earlier. Voices whispering obscure sounds needle my ears as I stare paralyzed with fear by these charging demons.

  Paralyzed? I look down at my feet and try to penetrate this stagnate state I’m in, but the power I try to proclaim over my body is not enough to break the hold. Unexpectedly and out of my control, I turn and run in the direction of the native princess, her mother, and the gentleman.

  Wake up! Wake up! I open my mouth and try to let go of my voice; shout, holler, cry out, anything to make myself wake out of this, but my voice is being kept hostage by the Dwellers. They are commanding me, trying to consume me like they did to Sam. The admittance sends a spine-tingling chill straight to my bones. I have heard these hissing whispers before when I woke after returning from beyond the veil. What if a Dweller got to me while I was beyond the veil? It can’t be! This isn’t like the Dwellers we have seen consume humans.