The Real World

by Jacob Long

  Our eyes lock as we sit in silence for a moment. "This is probably a stupid question but do you ever wonder what our lives would be like if the Omega War had never happened?" I ask. "Yes," she replies. "That is a stupid question." We both laugh under our breaths. We sit in silence for a moment, holding each other. "There would be a lot more people, and a lot less suffering... we probably wouldn't be together," she says tenderly.

  “Well, our families did know each other before the war...” I reply

  “Yes, we would know of each other. Perhaps met once or twice.”

  “I get it. It would suck.” I smile and give her hand a slight squeeze.

  “I just wish we had the power to destroy the Ministry and free all of those people,” I say. “They're reinstating the recon missions, aren't they?” asks Elena.

  "The next one won't be for another eight months though. Not until after everyone settles into the new island." I can see the tears wanting to form in her eyes, but she quickly holds them back. I wish I didn't cause her such pain, or any pain really. Neither of us says anything for what feels like a long while afterward. We aren't big talkers in the first place. Usually preferring only to say what needs to be said.

  Elena is even less of a talker than I am. Although, once I get her going, she can become quite the chatterbox. I just have to get her to open up. Once I do that, I can sit back and enjoy her stories. I could listen to her talk about anything and everything. She's unique, and it's her unique outlook on life that makes her stories so enchanting. I've learned though, that during the silent times, she doesn't need to vocalize to let me know how she feels. She's not mad at me. Well, she may be a little bit mad at me. For the most part, I think she doesn't like the fact that I am going to be in danger. At least, those are the feelings that I get based on conversations past and the look in her eyes, but who knows, I'm not a telepath like she is.

  Of course, she assures me that she never invades my thoughts. At least not on purpose. And I believe her. I'm sure that it's difficult to have an ability like that and not use it. Especially at times when emotions are running high. That's the thing about Elena though; she's very respectful of other people's privacy. I believe that having those abilities helps her to understand the importance of that more than anyone else. "Elena," I say reaching out to grasp her full attention. "I haven't decided if I'm going to go on the next mission. Since we will have some new commandos by that time, not all of them will be going. "I wanted to talk with you about it first because I want you to be a part of every major decision in my life," I say as I kneel down on one knee in front of her and pull out a ring from my pocket.

  "I want to share the rest of my life with the funniest, smartest, most terribly pretty girl in the world. And I know that there are hundreds of other eligible bachelors on this island that you could choose from. Some of them are stronger than me, some of them can fly, read minds, speak Russian better than me-" I consider continuing, but her eyes widen, letting me know that it's time to stop. "-The point is, none of them possess the unique super-human ability to love and care for you the way that I do." She smiles and shakes her head. She looks down for a moment in an effort to conceal her tears. I smile back at her as I gently lift her chin up. "Elena Kurpatov, will you marry me?"

  Her response isn't vocal. It's like the voice in my head, but it's her voice, not mine. "Yes," she replies telepathically. Her lips only move to smile. "Yes, yes, of course, I will marry you, Jayden Lancaster." I sit down next to her again. The good silence has returned. Nothing else needs to be said. As the sun drops to our side, we look at each other. I lean in, and we kiss. And for a few minutes, the whole world seems right...And then the siren goes off.

  17

  The moment that we have been preparing for our entire lives, the moment that seemed as though it might never happen is happening now. Our island home, our refuge, our safe haven from the Supreme Ministry has been discovered and will possibly soon be under attack. How did they find us?

  The siren blares from the valley as well as our manica lying on the blanket. We pick them up and put them on. I push the receive button. "Attention, citizens of Idem," my father's voice comes over the speaker system. "This is an emergency broadcast. All active personnel members are to report to the south beach towers. All civilians report to your assigned bunkers. This is not a drill."

  Elena and I look at each other. I press a few buttons to contact RT. “RT, do you have any more information on this?” “There is a large naval ship coming in fast from the south. Elena's dad is already on the coast. Your dad will be up in the air soon. “All right. I'll meet you at the beach in five.”

  It won't be hard for General Kurpatov to stop one ship. In fact, it seems way too easy. I barely manage to convince Elena to go to the bunkers. She levitates us down into the valley. The main city area is on the south end of the island, right next to the coast. We have many houses and a few other buildings spread throughout, but the bulk of it is there. Before we land, I can see General Kurpatov floating out just above the beach. Already, there are dozens of soldiers setting up a defensive perimeter. As we stand outside the entrance to the bunker, she tells me that she has a horrible feeling about this. I reassure her that it's only one ship, but I share the same gut-wrenching feeling, and she knows it, so I stop denying the danger. Instead, I put my arms around her waist, and she puts her's around my neck. Holding each other tightly, we are free for a brief moment.

  As I gently pull away, she only holds tighter. I turn my face toward her, and I see that her face is pink and flushed. I rest my forehead on hers. Two teardrops fall, one from each of her sweet eyes. As the first one runs past her cheekbone, I reach up and softly wipe it away with my thumb. The second one falls as soon as I wipe the first drop away. I brush it away, gently with my other thumb.

  Now, I realize that I am dreaming again. I know it's a dream, or at least, I think it's a dream. I'm not sure if I can wake up though. I'm not sure if I want to. It doesn't matter. I keep moving. I keep following the script, action by action, word for word. And I mean every bit of it. I keep both of my hands up supporting her neck with my thumbs on her cheeks.

  I lean in to press my lips to hers for what very likely may be the last time. What comes next is a sensation that I haven't felt in a long time. It's a sensation that I instantly recognize as one of the best. Elena's sweet, soft lips embraced against my own. It truly is too good to be true. As I open my eyes and bring my head back, I find myself staring into her emerald eyes. I tell her I love her, and it feels as though our souls are connected. “It's going to be okay. I promise,” I say the words just like it happened, but as the last word leaves my mouth, I realize that I'm wrong. This is a nightmare. A nightmare that is a memory. A memory in which everything did not turn out to be okay. This is not how it went. It was faster than this. I wanted more time to say goodbye. I wanted her to stay safe inside of that bunker.

  Inside of the bunker area, there are three massive submarines. These subs were built for two reasons. The first reason is to carry our people to the new island, and the second is to provide escape in an emergency situation which this is looking like it may qualify as. Mayor Gregory Smith leads the first ship. Councilman Matua leads the second ship, and since RT is his son, he is there as well. RT is in charge of communications for the escape. Elena's family and mine are in the third sub.

  The platform opens up, and a little hand reaches up, grabbing hold of Elena's. Her five-year-old brother, Piotr Jr pokes his head out at the side of her hip. He tugs at her. I smile at him and kiss her on the forehead. She steps back onto the platform, and it lowers into the ground. I look on as the lid seals shut.

  I take a nearby ISF motorcycle and ride toward the beach. When I get there, all of the other soldiers are already in the cannon towers. There are five of them. The commandos meet at the center cannon. Right in the middle of the beach. Exactly where the ship is heading. Sienna is assigned to the bunkers in case the rest of us don't make it. In addition to our group of com
mandos, we have five army soldiers in our tower. "Have any other vessels been detected," I ask as soon as I get inside of the cannon tower control room. "Nothing yet," he replies. "And I can't get a clear scan on them to see what kind of super-humans we are dealing with. It doesn't make sense," he adds, "they shouldn't be able to see us, and yet they're heading straight for us.” I only have to think for a moment before I have a revelation that hits me like a slap in the face. They know everything.

  There's no undeniable proof, just a sinking feeling in my stomach. A sinking feeling that tells me I should have trusted my instincts. I check the control panel to make sure the psychic disruption device for the tower is still active. I subtly grab a needle from one of my belt pouches, turn around, and stab it into Gabriel's neck. He jumps back in surprise, holding his neck and looking at me as if I am the traitor, but I know that it's him.

  The others are all shocked until the man we all thought was Gabriel has his true colors revealed to us. In a matter of seconds, he shape-shifts from a tall, athletic man to a short, thin one. His hair disappears, and his skin turns green. He makes a bolt for the door, knocking down two of the soldiers. Fortunately, Fetu is near the door. He reacts quickly, by hitting the shape-shifter and knocking the wind out of him. The He falls to the floor. I pick him up by the collar and throw him onto a chair. I hit him in the stomach. Then I hit him in the face.

  "What have you told them!" I ask angrily, hoping to conceal my worry. Not everyone knows about the second island, and only a few know of its whereabouts including my parents, Councilman Matua, Fetu, RT, myself, and a few other island leaders. Everyone else who has been there, have never had the exact coordinates revealed to them. Including Gabriel. It may have been a seemingly overly cautious move, but it looks like it was the right choice. However, this shape-shifter may have done some digging and discovered it's location. "Everything." He laughs in reply. "We know everything," I lean in. "What did you do to Lieutenant Sanchez?! Where is he?!"

  I'm ashamed of myself for not noticing that the Ministry had replaced one of my closest friends. Although, this is the first shape-shifter that we know of that can emulate another person's superhuman abilities. "Sanchez?" he laughs, hysterically. "Everyone on your entire island is about to get slaughtered, and you're worried about the fate of one little Sanchez?"

  Now, I've had it. I hit him in the face. Over and over again. "Jayden," RT petitions. I keep going. I hit him in the stomach. I don't hold back. I can't help but enjoy hurting him. I know that I shouldn't enjoy hurting people, even if they are the scum of the earth and yet, I can't seem to bring myself to stop. He took my friend, my fellow soldier. I try to think of when this could have happened. The escape from the Paradisum city, when I left Gabriel tangled up in the vines, he is one of the scouts, a shape-shifter sent to take Gabriel's place. He must have switched out with him before Fetu got there. "What did you do to Gabriel!" I hit him again.

  "Jayden!" RT yells, and I turn to look at him. Breathing heavily," Sorry," I say, In between breaths. RT walks over to the shape-shifter. "What do you mean slaughtered? I thought Carlisle and Fulloway wanted everyone as slaves." The shape-shifter only laughs in response. I focus on my breath, holding back my rage, and lean in close to him. "How many soldiers are coming here?"

  His mouth opens in a wide grin. He shakes his head back and forth, erratically. "The party is over Jayden Lancaster." He struggles to speak in between bouts of laughter. "Mommy and Daddy found you, and this-ss party is-s over-r." I stare at him, incredulously. "Carlisle and Fulloway are coming here?" I ask in disbelief. Although noticeably weakened and exhausted, the shape-shifter increases the strength of his laughter. “The chos-s-sen one indeed,” he continues, ignoring my question. "You and your little girlfriend are in so much trouble.” I look up at RT, and he nods. I hit the shape-shifter with a left hook. I find satisfaction in hearing the snap of his jaw as it struggles to stay attached to the rest of his skull. His head drops. He's out cold.

  Fetu presses his comm button. "President Lancaster, we have a Code Red. We have a full-scale invasion. They're targeting your family as well as the Kurpatovs." "Understood, Commander," my father's voice speaks from the comm system. "We need you to get to ensure the destruction of all of the Omega-crystals, and then get to the getaway ships as soon as possible. You may have to leave some of us behind. Saving the Mayor is the priority." "Understood," Fetu replies, grimly. “I'll take the shape-shifter with me,” he says to RT and I. “While the Captain is busy, Elena and Sienna are the only ones powerful enough to get information out of him.”

  He looks to both of us, acutely aware of our feelings for the two psychics that he is referring to. "Don't worry. I won't let him hurt anyone else." He places a hand on my shoulder. "Jayden, you're in charge of this team. I need you to find any remaining civilians and usher them into the bunker. Can you manage that?" he asks. "Yes, sir," I reply. "Good. RT," he says, redirecting his gaze. "We could use another bird in the sky." "Yes, sir," RT replies. "Wait," I say as Fetu goes to leave. I turn to RT, “Do you have any of those psychic disruption chips here? Who knows what other tricks this trash has up his sleeve.” I say, gesturing to the shape-shifter. RT hands me one of the specialized microchips. "This one is for you. I already gave them to Fetu and him." He gestures to the shape-shifter and wheels his chair over to him. "I just have to make sure he didn't adjust the settings," RT says as he tinkers with the traitor's manica. We don't know for sure, but there is a high possibility that this shape-shifter also has some telepathic abilities.

  Superhuman abilities are often associated with a person's personality, their interests, their daily routines and-or their natural talents. Shape-shifters are often people that have an innate ability to imitate others. Sometimes their ability to relate and understand others is enhanced with mild telepathy. "There," RT says. "Nobody will be reaching him telepathically." Fetu nods to us. "Good luck, soldiers," he says before grabbing the shape-shifter and taking off.

  I look back to the main screen to see the ship as it pierces the rough waters, heading straight toward us. It comes as no surprise when RT tells me, "Our shields are dropping. There's a glitch in the system." I press the button on my radio. "All shields are down," I say. "Requesting permission to open fire as soon as the intruding vessel is within range." "Permission granted," my father's voice commands. There is a slight shaking of the ground as Elena's dad creates telekinetic force fields around each of the five cannon towers. I climb up to the deck, just under the cannon.

  Captain Kurpatov is floating now in an almost fighter's stance with his left hand in front of his face and his right just to the side. He extends both hands in front of his body, and I can tell that he is trying to move the ship. The ship's force field is blocking out his telekinesis. Plan B. He brings his arms out to his sides, down, and back up forcefully. The ocean waters rise and shove up into the ship. The seas begin to surround the vessel. Even with the shields up, the hull begins to crack under the pressure. It's not much though. Then just as the ship is about to be flipped over and enveloped by the sea, Captain Kurpatov takes a few hits on his force field.

  Enemy fighter jets swoop in from the north, terrorizing our peaceful skies. Without the force field, the destruction is quick and brutal. Our streets are torn apart by plasma blasts. Our buildings, collapsing from missile fire. Our fighter jets return the attack, but the Ministry's aircraft outnumber them heavily. The ship gets within range, and our cannons open fire on it, causing little damage to their force field. On the other hand, the damage to Captain Kurpatov's force field is overwhelming, causing him to lose his hold on the ship. He focuses his attention on the jets, taking four of them out in a matter of seconds.

  It appears that the fight will be over quickly until we see a man fly from the ship and straight to Captain Kurpatov. His body appears to be made up of blue electricity. It's Administrator Haws. He pushes his chest out and spreads his arms out at his sides. A huge bolt of energy channels through him and emanates from his chest and h
ands. The bolt hits Captain Kurpatov's force field and pushes him back a few feet. Kurpatov can't seem to get a telekinetic hold on Haws' body, so he begins to throw trees and stones at him instead. The two of them engage in an enthralling battle as the ship opens fire onto our cannons. Two of the towers are quickly taken out. RT manages to get the force fields back online for the cannon towers just in time for ours to get hit.

  The blast knocks me down. I look up to see the ship landing on the beach. A hatch opens up in the hull. I run up to the deck to see dozens of soldiers come running out toward our beautiful city. Even from hundreds of feet away, I can see in their eyes the hate and the anger that has been programmed into them. Brainwashed men and women who have been engineered for the purpose of capturing or destroying free people like us. Most of them are carrying rifles, however many of them are carrying rocket launchers, and others have flamethrowers with fuel packs attached.

  I start sniping out as many mindless soldiers as I can. I target the fuel packs. RT's specially designed plasma blasts easily pierce through causing the packs to explode. However, the soldiers don't go down easy. The blast kills only the fire soldiers. Although many of them are heavily injured, the surrounding ones, walk away. These are the Ministry's foot soldiers specially engineered to be pawns. Although they are much more powerful than you would think a pawn would be.