Boy Gone

by Mark Wayne McGinnis

  “Speak for yourself,” Ernesto said. “Me? I’m not going back there. They can take me wherever they want.”

  Thomas, shrugging Pamela’s hand away, continued on as if he hadn’t been interrupted, “And can I get something to wear other than this towel? I’m cold,” He then looked over at Ernesto, his teeth chattering, and said, “You don’t want to go home because nobody wants you. You live in an orphanage.”

  Pamela made a face. “They’re not called that anymore. They’re called group homes … or foster homes.”

  Scotty didn’t know what either one was about. Never before had he even considered that some kids didn’t have a regular home to live in with their families—parents, and a brother or sister. Maybe both. He looked at Ernesto, the boy with the darker skin. He knew he was African-American. He also knew there were some people who called them other names. Bad names—like the N word. His brother Kyle once used the N word and got his mouth washed out with soap and then sent to bed without dinner.

  “How do you even know where he lives?” Scotty asked Thomas.

  “Mind your own business,” Ernesto shot back.

  “We live in the same neighborhood. In Ohio,” Thomas said.

  “May I have your attention, please?” Seve said.

  “Hey … how is it you speak like an American?” Ernesto asked, narrowing his eyes. “Why don’t you sound like an alien?” The rest of the kids also turned to Seve—their interest peeked. It was a good question.

  “A number of Vallic individuals, including myself, have spent time amongst Human beings on Earth. I lived in the United States. Other Vallic have lived there too, also in other Earth countries.”

  “Bullshit! You wouldn’t exactly fit in. Looking all glowing like you do and hovering around like a spooky spirit. No way, alien lady,” Ernesto said.

  Scotty and the other kids laughed. Ernesto was funny, even if he didn’t intend to be.

  “I am one of the very few Vallic from my home world who underwent a special genetic modification … a medical treatment. One that has taken years to perfect and is dangerous to undergo. I chose to do this for you, too.”

  “I don’t even know you, alien lady,” Ernesto shot back, a freaked-out expression on his face. Again, a few more giggles could be heard.

  “Not you, specifically, Ernesto, but all Humans.”

  Scotty watched Seve as she gestured to another crewmember to come over. They spoke between themselves. The other crewmember, clearly a female, stepped closer and stood silently for several moments. Then, miraculously, she materialized into a Human—a woman. Wearing clothes, she was dressed in a formfitting uniform, of sorts. And like Ernesto, she appeared to be African-American. She turned to Ernesto and smiled.

  “Holy crap! Jennet?” Ernesto asked, his words barely loud enough to hear.

  Scotty, now totally confused, stared first at Ernesto, then at the Human-looking woman, then over at Seve.

  “Wait … you know her, Ernesto?” Tori asked.

  Ernesto’s smart-ass demeanor all but disappeared. “Yeah … she works at the foster home. She’s one of the volunteers there.”

  “How did you do that?” Scotty asked her.

  “That’s a very good question, Scotty,” Jennet said. Taking a step closer, she knelt down onto one knee to be at eye-level with the children. “What if I told you that each one of you, in time, will be able to do the same … do what I just did?”

  “I’d say you’re on mind-altering drugs,” Ernesto said, although his belligerent tone had clearly changed.

  “We’re going to be ghosts? Just like you were a minute ago? Ah, no thank you.” Tori said, shaking her head.

  Scotty studied Jennet … or whoever she was. She seemed nice enough, but he wondered if she was tricking them. Maybe it was some kind of elaborate trap … like in Hansel and Gretel? The old lady in the cottage who was fattening the children up so she could eat them later.

  Jennet stood, nodded to Seve then walked away.

  Seve focused her gaze on Scotty. As if reading his mind, she said, “In time you will learn to trust us and come to understand just why you were chosen. I am sorry we had to take such drastic measures.”

  “Yeah, like kidnapping us,” Tori said.

  “So you will take us back home again soon?” Pamela asked.

  “In time, but not soon. It is best you come to terms with that fact right now. Go ahead and cry. Mourn for the life you knew, for it is gone. We understand how difficult this is for you; how it will continue to be difficult for some time to come.”

  As if on cue, Thomas began to weep. Once again, he used the corner of his towel to wipe away tears. Scotty was starting to dislike the sniveling brat. Although to be truthful, the boy’s constant crying and complaining presented an example of someone he didn’t want to be anything like. Perhaps Thomas’ behavior was the reason he wasn’t bawling his own eyes out.

  “You mentioned before something about a transition coming?” Tori asked.

  “Yes. We will leave Earth’s upper orbit soon. Prior to that, you and me—all of us, even this vessel—will temporarily be converted from obtuse matter into pure raw energy.” She pinched the skin on her arm. “This step is necessary for us to travel at the speed of light, and even, effectively speaking, beyond that.”

  Thomas stopped whimpering long enough to interject, “Einstein’s theory of relativity. It’s impossible to travel faster than the speed of light.”

  “You are a smart boy, Thomas. It’s something like that, although old Albert didn’t live long enough to theorize on the possibilities of a factored progression of light energy.”

  “You’re going to change us into light?” Tori asked, giving a skeptical sideways glance

  “We all will be converted to an energetic form of ourselves. Typically, this process is much easier for the Vallic since we are only three percent matter to begin with. Now that I have Human DNA, along with my Vallic DNA … that complicates things somewhat for me. Just the same, all of you, and me, will be converted into a form of energy and then stored in what is referred to as an atomized macro-structure. Then we will be ready for our intergalactic space journey.”

  “Please don’t take us! Just let us go home. Please!” Tori pleaded.

  It was the first time Scotty witnessed seeing Tori acting her age—like a child. He momentarily wondered how long it would be before he too started pleading. Begging to go home to his family; to his mother’s warm embrace.

  So this spaceship we’re in won’t fly off to the stars? Like in Star Wars or Star Trek?” Scotty asked, changing the subject.

  “No. Sorry, Scotty. What you have seen in the movies and on TV does not actually work. Physics do not support that reality. It would take us hundreds, even thousands of years to get from one point in space to another. We also may journey through various wormholes to cut our travel time way down. Only pure energy … such as light energy … could survive such a trek. I can explain more about this later. For now, please come with me. It is time.”

  Chapter 27

  They moved together as a group—Seve in the lead, with Pamela and Thomas close behind her, followed by Tori, Scotty, and Ernesto, still-griping, bringing up the rear. They passed through a number of compartments, such as they were, of varying sizes. Once they’d progressed deeper into the spaceship, Scotty noticed something that would pass for a kind of technology. Elevated, organic-looking protrusions, rising up from the floor, or extending out from the walls. Somewhat rectangular in shape, Scotty thought they could be consoles or control panels. On closer inspection, beneath a thin, top surface membrane, things blinked and shimmered with hundreds of tiny illuminations.

  As they continued deeper into the ship, he saw other faintly glowing crewmembers bustling about. They turned and watched expressionless as the small cluster of young Humans moved passed them. Scotty’s fear of what was coming next had become an all-consuming dread; his heart was hammering faster and harder in his chest and his rapid breathing was making hi
m feel woozy. Startled out of his worrying thoughts, Scotty heard Thomas plead again. Louder now, his annoying, whiny voice filled the space around them.

  Two Vallic crewmembers suddenly joined their procession, each taking ahold of one of Thomas’ thin white arms. The boy began screaming louder, wildly thrashing about. Seve momentarily glanced back at him then continued on.

  At some point Tori fell behind and now walked by Scotty’s side. He asked her, “Are they going to kill us?”

  “Why are you asking me?” she asked back, then added, “It wouldn’t make sense … going to all the trouble of kidnapping us, only to then turn around and kill us here on the ship. Why do that?”

  Scotty nodded. Her explanation made sense. He felt somewhat comforted.

  Coming to a stop, they evidently had reached their intended destination. This compartment, by far, had the most technology. The walls and ceiling were ablaze with blinking, glowing, illumination. So much so, that Scotty could easily make out what appeared to be submerged branch-like veins, or arteries running deep within the depths of various surrounding surfaces. This vessel truly is alive, he thought.

  Another glowing Vallic figure entered the same compartment. Moving with unhurried purpose, he headed directly toward them. He was larger, more imposing, than any of the aliens they’d encountered up till now. Scotty and Tori instinctively moved closer to one another. The typically talkative Ernesto, now silent, huddled closer in too. There’s something really dark and foreboding about this big alien, Scotty thought.

  They watched as he quietly conversed with Seve. Not speaking English, their voices steadily began to rise in volume. Seve was now shouting, standing up to the far more imposing figure. Their dispute continued until finally the larger Vallic spun around and reached out for Thomas. The boy flew up, the alien’s glowing fist securely clenched around the youngster’s neck. Eyes wide and filled with terror, Thomas stared back at his captor in disbelief. His little hands desperately ripped, clawed at the alien’s fingers tightly gripping his constricted throat. A tiny whimper escaped through his gasping mouth when his pink bath towel dropped to the floor below. Now naked, his skinny legs frantically flailed and thrashed about. Then came a definitive, singular, sound: Crack!

  Thomas no longer struggled. A limp ragdoll, his body was then held up for the other children to witness.

  The large alien slowly lowered his arm, one hand still clutched around the dead boy’s neck. Moving away without looking at Seve, Thomas’s limp body—only a lifeless carcass—was dragged along at the alien’s side.

  Both horrified and paralyzed with fear, Scotty continued to watch, trying not to breathe, to stand perfectly still. He wanted to scream. Wanted to run and hide, hoping his mother or father would somehow hear him, would come and find him up here in space. His mind raced, as if a highly charged electrical current was coursing around and around through his brain. Mental images of everyday good and normal events entered and left at such lighting speed he wasn’t able to hold onto any one of them. He only knew what was occurring was far more than any nine-year-old should have to endure. Mere hours before his life was normal. Kyle tuning out the rest of the world while playing video games on his PlayStation; Sara sitting at the kitchen table singing a silly song she’d learned in pre-school and drawing in the new coloring book she’d just convinced Mom to buy her at the Stop and Shop. No … this stuff doesn’t happen to someone who’s only nine! Scotty swallowed hard then hoped it wasn’t that loud, not wanting to attract the attention of the big alien.

  He briefly wondered where Thomas was being taken. Perhaps he’d be tossed out into the lonely blackness outside these walls—out into space where he’d drift forever and ever.

  Scotty, upon feeling Tori’s fingers tightening within his own, wondered when she’d taken his hand in hers. Staring into her terror-filled blue eyes, he saw his own scared reflection stare back. He noticed she was trembling then wondered if he was, too. Ernesto’s voice, only inches away, was barely more than a whisper, “This is so much worse than I even thought.”

  Seve was saying something. Scotty wondered how long she’d been speaking. Tori, pulling her hand away from his, took a step closer to the female alien.

  “I am sorry. I know that was a terrible thing to see. It should not have happened … not like that. Best you learn early on that not all Vallic appreciate other life forms … ones different from their own. Especially Humans.”

  The remaining four children listened intently, not daring to speak.

  “All I can say is there is a reason you are here. It is important, beyond anything you can fully understand at your young age.”

  “We understand enough to know you just murdered a little kid right in front of us,” Ernesto said.

  “I suppose that should be a warning to you … to all of you. You are here to learn. You are here to eventually help others on your planet. Help your species to survive. If it is determined you cannot do that, that you are incapable of doing that, then you may face a fate similar to that of poor Thomas. What Horran has done.

  “Is that who that was … his name is Horran?” Scotty asked.

  She nodded. “The leader of this team. And I am sorry, but I will not be able to save you in the event he intervenes. So be good children and do as you are asked. Learn and complete each task presented to you and do so with a positive attitude. Do this and you will live a long life. Eventually, you will be returned to Earth. But I assure you, when that day comes, you will find it just as hard to return there as it was to leave. Over subsequent years you will learn to do things no other Human has accomplished before. You will become far more than what Earthlings are presently. Someday, you all will be sole examples of how the Human race can survive.”

  Seve turned away as another Vallic crewmember approached. They spoke together in friendly low tones before she turned back to face them. “It is time.”

  “Time for what?” Ernesto asked.

  “For each of us to make the transition. Do not be afraid. You are safe … the procedure will not hurt.”

  “Why would you even say that … that it won’t hurt? I didn’t think it would until you said that,” Ernesto said.

  Scotty asked, “Where’s Larry? Can I get my dog back first, before the, um, transition?”

  “Seriously? Again with the dog?” Pamela shot back.

  “Larry has already gone through a similar process, Scotty,” Seve said. “Now it’s your turn.”

  Scotty was taken aback—learning something had already happened to Larry without having prior knowledge. He felt a deep uneasiness within, creeping in from all sides.

  “Scotty, why don’t you go first?” Seve asked, in an upbeat voice. Almost as if suggesting he be the first to head into a classroom, or jump into a swimming pool.

  Scotty glanced over at now stone-faced Tori, then at Ernesto, who merely shrugged, looking more than a little relieved that it wasn’t him going first.

  “What do I do?”

  Seve held out a hand, “Come with me, child.”

  Scotty hesitated as long as he thought he could get away with it, then reluctantly moved around Pamela’s protruding party dress and took the alien’s outstretched hand. Seve gave it a gentle squeeze then led him in the opposite direction from where Thomas’s body had been dragged off by the towering alien. That’s at least something, he figured. They entered through a separating, thin, translucent layer, consisting of a kind of energized particles, and his skin tingled as they passed through it. On the other side the walls came together—what amounted to either a hallway or a passageway. Twenty paces later, they moved into another compartment. In some ways it seemed pretty much the same—but different too—the illumination in here far brighter. Combinations of tiny lights were blinking on and off, patterns being made, but he didn’t understand what they meant. Only that, on a more active level, more of the same weird alien technology was going on here.

  At the center of the room was a humongous-huge white worm—maybe maggot descr
ibed it better. It emitted a sweet, sickening smell that made Scotty want to gag. Faceless, its bloated-looking body was a series of large, puffy, inner tube-like connected segments. Scotty continued to watch the thing, realizing it was actually moving. No, it was only breathing. And it was beyond disgusting.

  Scotty glanced up and found Seve looking down at him, watching his every expression. “It looks worse than it is. We call it a Porthwamp.”

  To Scotty, the thing couldn’t possibly look any worse. Towering high overhead, it easily was as wide as three side-by-side SUVs. Clearly, it was both an animal and a thing—maybe even a machine, of some sort. The Porthwamp had little lights glowing on and off within its flesh. It also possessed a wide-open, gaping mouth.

  Seve smiled. “That is the entrance.”

  “No! There’s no way anyone ever willingly goes in there. I’m not going in there … not ever.”

  Looking bemused, Seve said nothing, as she pointed to a large, integrated, 3D display taking place within the enormous maggot’s surface membrane. Scotty was seeing views that he assumed were other areas on the ship. His attention was drawn to one display, in particular, showing multiple rows of seed-like objects. Pods? Lined-up, one-after-another, each had a small clear section, an irregular window, set into its top portion. Inside each, Scotty could just barely make out their faces: sleeping Vallic crewmembers. To Scotty, they looked identical to one another, and wondered, why even bother with windows since they all look the same? Then it occurred to him, maybe not so much for others to look in, but to enable the crewmembers to look out.

  “What’s going to happen to me, Seve?” Scotty asked nervously.

  “You’re going to walk through this entrance gate and step onto the yellow circle. There, your body will be scanned. Scanned down to its smallest components—to the very atoms that make Scotty, Scotty. Even your thoughts, memories, emotions, will be scanned then stored into a virtual representation of you … an atomized organic macro-structure. Those pods, or structures, you noticed back there on the display are actually symbolic versions of something that does not have actual mass. We think of them as virtual place holders.”