Dark Humanity

by Gwynn White

  “Yes, I do. But, Alex, you have to try and remember what happened. They can’t win. It will be the end of… everything.”

  The end of everything? “Who can’t win?” I asked, wondering if he would hurt me if I tried to run. He was insane. He had to be.

  “The scientists.”

  A disturbing image flashed through my head. It was of me viciously struggling to get away from a man holding a long needle. My heart began to beat faster. “Scientists? Who exactly are you talking about?”

  That’s when he dropped the next bomb.

  Chapter Nine

  I laughed coldly. “Okay, not funny.”

  “I’m not joking,” he said evenly. “The people you are living with are not really your parents. Their bodies have been taken over by aliens.”

  I stared at him in anger and disbelief. How could he say such a thing? “You really are crazy. Let me go,” I said, pulling away from him.

  “Listen to me,” he begged, finally releasing my hands. “You have to remember….”

  “Stop it, Blayze,” I ordered, backing away from him until my back hit the doorway leading out. “You’re not making any sense and I’m sorry, but come on! My parents are aliens? Do you have any idea how messed up that sounds?”

  “I know it sounds ridiculous, but I swear to you… it’s the truth.”

  “You seriously need help,” I said, grasping the doorknob, too scared to turn my back on him.

  He took a step toward me. “Alex, I’m not lying to you. It’s the honest to God truth,” he pleaded, desperation in his eyes. “You just don’t remember any of this because of what they did to you.”

  “And what is it that my ‘alien’ parents did to me?” I sneered. “Used some kind of laser beam to wipe out my memory?”

  “Close. They strapped us into these machines and connected a bunch of wires to both of our skulls.”

  “Oh, of course. How could I forget about that?”

  He ignored my sarcasm. “You were hysterical, Alex, and I felt horrible. There was nothing I could do to help you, even though I promised to keep you safe. Don’t you remember screaming my name?”

  A flash of something else went through my head. It was of me lying on some kind of metal table and crying. Obviously, all of his crazy talk was now messing with my own mind. It made me furious. “You were either dreaming or hallucinating.”

  He smiled grimly. “It wasn’t a dream. You punched Hamilton in the nose beforehand, and there was blood everywhere. Come on, you’ve got to remember that. It was the only thing good about that day.”

  I closed my fist and opened it. My knuckles had been sore a couple of weeks ago. But, it was from using the punching bag in the workout room. “Right… I smacked your uncle,” I said dryly. “Yep. That sounds like me.”

  “You’re a force to be reckoned with, Alex. I should know, I taught you everything you know.”

  I laughed. “Is that right?”

  “Let’s just say that you can fight. Really fight. For the last six months, I’ve taught you invasive self-defense moves along with hand-to-hand combat skills. You can almost kick my butt now. I certainly wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of one of your strikes.”

  I shook my head. “Sorry, but that’s impossible. I’m no fighter and I’ve never punched anyone, including your uncle.”

  His eyes hardened. “He’s not my uncle. He’s also an alien. He’s in charge of their entire mission.”

  “Oh, they have a mission? And what exactly is that?”

  “Taking over our bodies.”

  I should have known the conversation would turn even crazier. I wondered why I was still even listening to him. “What?”

  “Once our bodies are fully mature, the aliens steal them from us. They become the new hosts, leaving us unable to resist. Basically, they move in. That’s what’s happened to your parents.”

  “Is that right?” I sneered.

  He pursed his lips, frustrated. “It’s true. You knew about this too, before you were brainwashed.”

  “That’s quite a tale. Tell me, why exactly do they need our bodies?” I asked, playing along.

  “To survive. To live forever, I suppose. When their current host’s body gives out, they need to replace them every few years. Human hosts, in particular. I guess their life-force is pretty hard on our nervous systems.”

  “Why would they choose us if our bodies gave out so quickly?”

  “Because, we’re all they’ve got at the moment.”

  “And they told you all of this?”

  “Not exactly. I overheard them discussing it and have seen some video footage.”

  “Wow, good thing you got your memory back,” I said, impressed with his story. It was obviously rubbish, but pretty inventive.

  He nodded. “Now, you see why they haven’t just killed us off. We’re very important to them, Alex. Every human body is. Especially the young, healthy ones.”

  I stared at him, wondering what he’d do if I bolted. Would he believe that I was also an alien that needed to be kept quiet?

  “Remember what they told you about the last World War?”

  “Of course. We all learned about it in school and from our parents,” I said, wondering where he was going to go with this.

  “Right. It was a lie. All of it. The last war was an invasion. By them. It wasn’t a war amongst ourselves.”

  “Oh, makes sense to me,” I said, nodding. “The aliens arrived. Of course.”

  He went on. “I know you don’t believe me, but I’m going to lay it all out for you. Hopefully, it will trigger something in your blocked memory.”

  “Okay. Go for it,” I said, forcing a smile.

  “When they invaded, most of humanity was wiped out by the aliens. Inevitably, they took over what was left of the human race and are still very much in control.”

  “And they’re living among us?”

  He nodded vehemently. “Yes, there are aliens everywhere, all of them living amongst us. Neighbors, teachers, doctors… But, there are also many humans still in control of their own bodies and unaware that the aliens even exist.”

  “Why wouldn’t the survivors remember the attack and the aliens?”

  “Just like how you don’t remember anything. They erased everyone’s memories right after they gained control of us.”

  “So, they’ve stayed hidden. But, isn’t it a huge hassle for them? Why don’t they just lock us up, like farm animals? Why keep their existence a secret and hide behind lies and conspiracies?”

  “I don’t know for sure but I have a theory. I mean, think about it – a happy and well-adjusted human is much healthier than one that’s been imprisoned. If you knew that your sole purpose of living was to someday host an alien, what kind of horrible existence, for anyone, would that be?”

  I just stared at him in awe. He was wasting his imagination by being crazy. He could have been a great writer or teacher.

  He grinned, thinking that I was buying it, obviously. “So, you see, they are farming and cultivating us, but in secret. If we knew of their existence, there would be pandemonium and uprisings. This is much easier and less stressful for the aliens, as well as us.”

  I sighed. “So, tell me, why haven’t they taken over our bodies yet? Or Jimmy’s? You say my parents are aliens, why aren’t we?”

  “From what I’ve heard, if they enter us too early, there is some kind of adverse effect on the pituitary gland. So, they wait until we are at full maturity before doing it. Then the countdown begins. The human body can only sustain the aliens for a limited number of years. Personally, I think that your parents are raising you to be their donors when their bodies finally give out.”

  I didn’t even know how to respond to that. It was making me sick to my stomach. I had to leave and if he tried to stop me, I decided to scream my bloody head off. This was too much. “Blayze, I’m leaving. That was, uh, quite the story. Unfortunately, you’re going to have to take on the aliens alone.”

&nb
sp; “You’re making a mistake,” he replied, looking alarmed. “There isn’t much time. Once we get to Planet Z, they won’t have to hide who they are.”

  “Oh, yeah? Why is that?”

  “Because that’s their home planet, Alex. They’re taking us there because we know too much. We’re a threat. It has nothing to do with finding a more suitable planet.”

  Shaking my head, I stepped out of the supply room. He was delusional. Our planet was obviously dying and the mission was real, unlike his wild story. “Okay. Well, I’ll see you around.”

  “You can’t go back to your cabin,” he said, walking around me as I started down the hallway. He blocked my path. “They’ll know that we spoke. Your parents. My uncle.”

  “Good. Maybe one of them will get you some help,” I muttered, pushing past him. Thankfully, he didn’t come after me.

  “Alex, whatever you do, don’t say anything to them. About our conversation. Please. Just think about everything that I said and try to remember. We need each other. Now more than ever.”

  Fruitcake, I thought, rolling my eyes.

  Chapter Ten

  When I got back to the room, my brother was kneeling on the floor, playing with his alien action figures. I laughed at the irony.

  “What’s so funny?’ asked Jimmy.

  “Nothing. Where are Mom and Dad?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. They’d better come and get us soon, though. I’m starving.”

  “So, they didn’t even notice that I’d left?”

  Jimmy shook his head.

  I sat down on the lower bunk and rubbed a hand over my face. After the crazy conversation with Blayze, I’d lost most of my appetite.

  “What happened between you and lover boy?” he said, looking over his shoulder at me.

  I grabbed a pillow and threw it at him. “He’s not my lover boy. He’s far from it.”

  “What did he want to talk to you about?” he asked, twisting his body around to face me.

  I grunted. “Let’s just say that I hope he never comes near me again.”

  He grinned slyly. “Did he try and make out with you?”

  “No,” I said, thinking that if he’d done that, at least it wouldn’t have freaked me out as much. He was a good looking guy; it was such a waste that he was also crazier than anyone I’d ever met before. I began to wonder if maybe the Isolation Precinct experience had made him that way, or if he’d always been nuts.

  “So… what did he want?”

  “Don’t worry about it,” I said, not wanting Jimmy blabbing about it to our parents or to tell Bruce. I decided not to tell them either. Then I’d have to explain how I’d lied to them the day before about where I’d gone. It seemed best to just put it behind me and keep my distance from Blayze.

  There was laughter at the door and then it opened. Both Mom and Dad stepped into the cabin; they’d changed into gray T-shirts and black sweatpants. The thought of them being aliens was laughable.

  “You ready to fill your bellies?” asked Dad, clapping his hands together.

  “I feel like I’m starving,” said Jimmy, standing up. “I bet you I can eat more than you right now, Dad.”

  “Oh, I don’t know. In fact, I’m hungry enough to eat one of you,” teased Dad, grabbing him. He made silly noises and pretended to bite Jimmy’s arm; it made me smile. This was definitely no alien. He was simply our Dad, who’d been this goofy for as long as I could remember.

  “Are you feeling better?” I asked Mom, who was watching with amusement.

  “A lot better. I’m pretty hungry now, too.”

  “I’m sure. You basically got rid of everything in your stomach.”

  “And then some,” she said, laughing as Jimmy crawled on top of Dad’s back and began riding him like a pony. “Those lift-offs really do a number on me. I don’t know what it is.”

  “I think we both hate flying,” I said.

  “I guess you’re right,” she said.

  “Okay, no more horsing around. Let’s go and see what they have in the cafeteria,” said Dad, getting up off of the floor. “Before one of us faints.”

  “First, fix your hair,” said Mom, pointing at her own head. “You look like a mad scientist.”

  He laughed and ran a hand through his messy hair, which looked like it needed a trim. Like Jimmy, Dad had wavy, blonde hair that tended to curl at the neck.

  There was a knock at the door and my stomach knotted up. Had Blayze decided to try talking to me again?

  Dad opened the door. “Hamilton. What an unexpected surprise. What’s up?”

  Seeing Blayze’s uncle in our doorway wasn’t much better. He made me feel like I’d committed some horrible crime, the way he looked at me.

  “I’m looking for my nephew, Blayze,” he said, his eyes boring into mine. “I know he’s had some contact with your daughter, Paul. Have you seen him around here?”

  “No,” replied Dad, taking a step back. He looked at me, confused. “Honey, have you seen Blayze, other than during take-off?”

  I opened my mouth to lie when my brother foiled my plans by being noble and honest.

  “He was here earlier,” said Jimmy. “But, he left.”

  I sighed.

  “Did he say anything to you about where he was going?” asked Hamilton, smiling warmly at my brother. He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

  Jimmy hesitated and then surprised the heck out of me. “No. He just came to the door and then left right away. He seemed lost and confused, though. It was kind of weird.”

  Hamilton’s eyes narrowed. “Really? He just came to the door and left?”

  My brother nodded.

  Hamilton’s gaze shifted to me. “He didn’t say anything to you? Anything that sounded crazy?”

  I almost laughed at that. “Uh, no. Nothing to me.”

  “Hmm… That is a little strange, isn’t it? Well, if you run into him, let him know I’m looking for him.”

  I nodded. “No problem.”

  Hamilton looked at my dad. “I don’t think that I need to tell you to keep an eye on your kids, Paul. And whatever you do, don’t let them wander around the ship alone. They might get into some kind of trouble. There’s a lot of expensive equipment on board.”

  “We’ll keep an eye on them,” said Mom, putting her arm around Jimmy. Her smile was brittle. “They’re good kids, though. I can’t foresee them causing any problems on the ship.”

  “One can’t usually foresee problems and that’s why they typically occur in the first place,” he said, looking at me again. “Remember, Alexandra, if you see Blayze, make sure you report him.”

  The way he said my name made me cringe. There was something so irritating about him that I could almost imagine myself punching him in the nose. “Report him?” I repeated. “Why? Did he do something wrong?”

  He looked at me like I was stupid. “Sorry. Let me rephrase that. Tell him that I’m very concerned about him. That he needs to return to his room.”

  “Sure. What’s going on with him, anyway?” I asked, folding my arms under my chest. His rudeness made me want to keep digging.

  He looked surprised that I had the nerve to ask him a question. “What’s going on with him?” He laughed. “Other than having a wild imagination and not following orders? Who really knows?”

  “Where are his parents?” I asked.

  “Honey, it’s impolite to ask so many questions,” said Dad, looking cross.

  “It’s okay,” replied Hamilton, brushing some lint from his suit jacket. “His parents are back home. Safe and sound.”

  That was a weird way to explain their whereabouts. Safe and sound? “Why is Blayze on the ship and not with them?”

  “Alex,” warned Dad. “Quit badgering the man. I’m sorry, Hamilton. She has a mind of her own.”

  “I see that. Well, it’s quite all right. She can ask me anything she wants. I have nothing to hide.”

  Oh, he is definitely hiding something, I thought. I wa
sn’t sure what, but his eye had twitched when he’d said it.

  Hamilton went on. “His parents didn’t want to join us on the trip, but they thought it would be a good experience for Blayze. He’s been having some… problems adjusting, lately.”

  “To what?” asked Jimmy.

  “To everything,” he said, smiling at Jimmy. For some reason, he seemed to like my younger brother. “That happens when you’re growing up sometimes.”

  “Why?”

  “I’m not exactly sure,” said Hamilton. “In Blayze’s case, he lost his girlfriend a while back. I’m sure it hasn’t been easy for him.”

  “Emily?” I said.

  He stared at me hard again. “No. Someone else. Someone he’s kept quiet about.”

  “Huh, that’s odd,” I said, only remembering Emily and Blayze together. Before he’d started acting crazy, they’d been the ideal couple. Popular, nice-looking, always cheerful.

  Dad chuckled. “Teenagers, right? They can be very mysterious about their social life.”

  “Yes. If they’d just open up and talk about what’s going on in their lives, they’d realize that we’re here to help. That we’re on their side,” said Hamilton, sounding about as sincere as a robot. “What about you, Alex? Is there anyone special in your life?”

  “No,” I said quickly, annoyed that he was prying into my life now. Maybe he was getting me back for grilling him now?

  “She’s not seeing anyone,” said Mom. “Which is good, because long distance relationships are very difficult.”

  “Unless the distance is much closer than one thinks,” said Hamilton, a shrewd look on his face.

  He was as odd as his nephew was crazy. “I’m not seeing anyone,” I said, not that it was any of his business. “I’ve been too busy with school.”

  “I suppose you have. Anyway, enough about Blayze,” said Hamilton, scratching his head. “I’ve scheduled a meeting tonight, after dinner. Seven o’clock in my office. I’d like you both to attend.”

  “We’ll be there,” said Dad.

  “Of course,” said Mom.

  “Alexandra, please, do yourself a favor,” said Hamilton, looking at me again. “Stay away from Blayze, especially if he seeks you out. Like I said before, he’s going through some stuff and is… very confused. No need to have him confusing anyone else on this ship.”