James placed his arm behind the back of Susan's head and lifted her off Cayde's lap. Tears flowed from Mia's face as she watched James pass her by. She bit her lip and did her best not to let her emotions completely run away from her.
“Guys, radio chatter is running rampant. Squad cars will be at our position within minutes. We need to go,” Tommy said over the group's connected earpieces.
“We're on our way out now, be ready to move as soon as we board,” Dr. Connors said.
James carried Susan all the way down the stairs and out of the house. The hangar bay door opened, and the group followed James back to the ship.
Tommy immediately dropped to the ground and cried as soon as he saw Susan. James choked up. He fought back the tears that swelled in the corner of his eyes and walked right passed the group.
“Where is he going?” Tommy asked.
“He's taking her back to her room,” Mia replied. She knew James well enough to predict exactly what he was going to do and why he would do it in that particular way.
Christine pulled on the throttle and ascended to the skies as James left the room.
“What happened?” Mia asked.
“Commander Sullivan is what happened. I knew those guys couldn't be trusted,” Cayde said.
“Now wait a minute Cayde, we don't know that for sure. We don't know what happened exactly,” Dr. Connors said.
James returned from Susan's room after gently placing her in her bed. “What do you mean you don't know?” he asked in a voice slightly deeper than his usual tone.
Dr. Connors was startled by James. He knew James was extremely protective and looked after the group with everything he had in him. He knew James was feeling a lot of guilt in that moment for not being there by Susan's side.
“Who killed her and how did she die?” James asked.
“We don't know who killed her but we do know how. She was killed by a sniper,” Dr. Connors said.
Cayde gritted his teeth. “A sniper on Commander Sullivan's payroll!”
“I knew going there was a bad idea!” James said. James slammed his fist into one of the tables in the control center and completely shattered it.
“James, take it down a notch. I cannot say with certainty that Commander Sullivan had anything to do with what happened to Susan. I refuse to believe a government representing the United States would so callously kill an American citizen without just cause.”
“Who's to say they truly represent the United States? Perhaps this is some shadow group working within the government but not necessarily authorized by the government,” Christine said.
Dr. Connors sighed. “Such groups exist?”
“You better believe it. There are so many agencies within our country alone that technically don't exist. Groups authorized by certain factions within the government, but do everything off books, that way the government can keep their hands clean. This very easily could've been a group acting on orders secretly.”
“Wait, you guys, quiet down!” Mia said.
“Mia, what is it?” James asked.
Mia pointed to the television and stared at it.
“Tommy, turn it up,” James said.
Tommy positioned his hands on the keyboard, and turned the volume up.
“Good evening my fellow Americans.”
The Ascendants’ eyes and ears were glued to the television. They waited nervously to hear what the President had to say.
“Today is a day that many of us feared for a while now. As you know, it's been a little over a year since the existence of Post Humans became public. Immediately the world became fascinated and terrified with this revelation. For decades the world has wondered is there life beyond the stars. Never had we imagined that the truly extraordinary existence that would change our way of life was right here on our own planet. Since that fateful day, many have wondered and worried about the state of our nation and the security risks in which these Post Humans pose. With each day that passes, more and more individuals seem to pop up with the extra gene in them.”
Dr. Connors and Christine shared an unspoken but definitely recognizable worried look.
“My administration has been very proactive in monitoring Post Human activity and as such we've learned various ways to handle Post Humans that break the law. And believe me when I say, Post Humans will be held at the same degree as those without abilities. If a Post Human breaks the law, they will pay the price just like any one of us.”
James cracked his knuckles and looked as if he was ready for a fight.
“They're going to declare war on us,” Cayde said to James.
“Let them try!”
“Quiet down you two,” Dr. Connors said.
An image of the scene that took place early that morning involving Cooper Barrett and the government agents flashed on the screen. The image prompted the President to speak on the matter.
“Within the past few months, we've seen an uptick of criminal activity within the Post Human community. Just this morning, a Post Human terrorist by the name of Cooper Barrett sought out to cause serious harm to the citizens of this great nation. His attack this morning killed one and injured twelve. His attack pushed the fears many of us have regarding the Post Humans’ presence. I am here to address those fears.”
The President looked over to his left and nodded. A large man with slick gray hair and biceps the size of tree trunks walked up to the podium and joined the President.
“Well the plot certainly thickens. That's Commander Sullivan,” Cayde said.
“Due to the risk Post Humans pose and the alarming number of cases involving Post Humans abusing their abilities, I have authorized the creation of a very specific organization.”
The President looked over to Commander Sullivan and nodded. The Commander nodded back. “To my left is Commander Sullivan. A highly decorated veteran who has given well over thirty years of his life serving this great nation. I have given this man the incredibly challenging task of policing Post Human activity. Government, Units, Against, Radical, Danger, or simply G.U.A.R.D. will keep these criminals in line. Rest assured that if a problem occurs within your community and a Post Human is behind the disturbance, Commander Sullivan and his agents will be there to stop them.”
“G.U.A.R.D., what kind of name is that?” Cayde asked.
“The kind of name someone uses when they really want their acronym to be catchy,” Tommy replied.
Cayde chuckled slightly and turned his attention back to the screen.
“In addition to the situation involving Cooper Barrett, it has been reported that another Post Human attacked a school killing three individuals.”
“That's not true, it wasn't a Post Human,” Mia said.
Dr. Connors looked at Mia concernedly. “What school, what is he talking about?”
Mia shook her head. “We’ll have to fill you in on that later.” She looked over to James, who looked over to Dr. Connors and nodded.
Dr. Connors sighed heavily. His heart and mind were already feeling the weight of the world; he didn't know how much more he could take.
“Some of these Post Humans have taken our kindness for weakness. Some of these Post Humans believe their abilities make them better than the rest of us. I am here to remind them that we are the people of the United States of America. We the people can overcome any obstacles and challenges thrown our way. We will not be intimidated and we will not be submissive. If you abuse your abilities, we are coming for you. We are one nation and we are one people, and we will not be afraid!”
The President paused to let the thunderous applauds take place. For two minutes he stood there and smiled. “Thank you all and God bless America.”
The President did not bother to take any questions from the media. As soon as he concluded his speech, he turned around and walked back through the double doors, leaving the entire world to digest his powerful words.
Dr. Connors adjusted his glasses and frowned. “Turn it off.”
Tom
my pressed the corresponding button on his keyboard and the big screen in the center of the control room went blank.
Cayde looked around the room anxiously. He hated awkward moments and an entire room of people saying absolutely nothing was about as awkward as it got for him. “Well this certainly wasn't the way I pictured the day going when I woke up this morning.” Cayde hoped for a response from the group, but they were too filled with concern to react to Cayde's obvious need to eradicate the awkwardness in the room.
Dr. Connors ignored Cayde and looked directly over towards Mia. His face was scrunched and his throat felt awfully dry. “What were you talking about just a minute ago? What do you know about the attack at the school?”
Mia had an apprehensive look on her face. As always when she felt unsure, she turned to James for decisiveness.
“The attack that took place at the school is the same place we just came from,” James said.
Dr. Connors raised his eyebrow. “Did you two have something to do with that?” He hated the fact that he even had to ask that question, but he knew anything could've gone wrong and the situation could've easily changed from casual to deadly.
“No, no, we had absolutely nothing to do with that attack!” Mia said shaking her head repeatedly. “Well I mean, we did have something to do with it, but not in the way that you think. Like, we didn't start the attack on any civilians or anything like that, but we were definitely involved.”
Dr. Connors stared at Mia with his mouth open in disbelief. “I have no idea what the heck you're talking about. What happened at the school?”
“We ran into some trouble. We found Lucas, and he had no interest at all in coming back with us or helping us in any way. Before I had the chance to use a more persuasive approach, we heard screaming. So I went to check it out and I couldn't believe what I saw.”
Cayde's ears perked up. “What did you see?”
“A monster,” Mia said.
James gave Mia a less than amused look. “An alien, we saw a seven foot, red skinned, long dreadlock wearing, massively built alien. The alien used some sort of staff weapon the likes of which I've never seen. He took on our combined abilities without breaking a sweat.”
The room filled with another awkward silence. Dr. Connors wet his lips and did his best to remain calm. “I honestly don't know what's worst. The situation with this G.U.A.R.D. agency or your so called alien.”
“You think they're covering the existence of this alien up?” Cayde asked.
“I don't think so,” Dr. Connors said.
“Actually, I'm pretty sure they are covering it up. I noticed the change in demeanor when he mentioned Post Human in conjunction with the school. He knew he was telling a lie, and it bothered him,” Christine said.
“Yeah, well it bothered me too. That staff weapon literally burned a hole right through the body of some unsuspecting teacher.”
“We are way in over our heads!” Cayde said. Cayde looked around the room. He looked at the bruises James and Mia acquired battling the alien, Tori's massive headache from using her telepathy and locating abilities too much. He noticed the weary expression on Dr. Connors face and the shaky hands Christine was trying to hide. The Ascendants were in complete disarray and it worried him.
“You're right Cayde, we are way in over our heads.” Dr. Connors reached in the breast pocket of his suit, pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his glasses. He looked around the room. His eyes connected with each member of the group and smiled. “When I first started this group, I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea how I was going to find you or even more so, how I was going to protect you.”
Dr. Connors locked in on Tori. “Then I found Tori. Be it luck or sheer destiny, Tori's abilities allowed me to track down others. I was able to find people who based on her review were like-minded individuals. With every single one of you, my confidence grew, and I knew we had the makings of something really special. We stayed underground, we remained quiet, and we trained. Now granted, I've seen some pretty powerful Post Humans out there, but I've never seen a group as committed to one another as you guys are.”
Cayde rubbed his face. He knew Dr. Connors' words were supposed to be motivational, but after the day they had, he wasn't feeling too motivated. About the only motivation he had at that moment was to leave.
“What exactly are we supposed to do Dr. Connors? I mean your speech is all fine and dandy, but the fact remains we have a huge target on our back. How are we supposed to take on highly trained government agents and superior aliens?”
“We do it together,” a familiar voice said.
The group nearly broke their necks as they turned their heads towards the control room's entrance. They stared in disbelief and stood still.
Finally, James made a move forward. He studied the individual carefully. James raised his right hand forward and reached for the individual's face, but the intended target quickly grabbed James' wrist and twisted it downward.
“If you value that arm, then I suggest you keep your hands to yourself,” the individual said. The two shared an intense stare. Neither of them blinked or batted an eye.
“Is it you? Is it really you?” Tommy asked.
“Of course it's me, who else were you expecting?”
“Pretty much anyone but you,” Cayde said.
The individual looked at Cayde with a completely perplexed expression. “Why?”
Dr. Connors stepped forward. His face as white as a ghost and his mouth as dry as the desert. “Because Susan, you're supposed to be dead.”
Epilogue
After his battle with James, Mia, and Lucas, the red skinned alien safely retreated to his ship and returned to the dark side of the moon. He had a plethora of advanced technology at his disposal, including technology that concealed his presence from Earth's satellites and long range sensors.
While the alien's home world was several million light years away, the moon served as his staging area. For months the alien occupied the moon, monitoring human activity and recording all of it to his superior.
The alien grimaced slightly as he walked to his private quarters and took off his armor. He laid his stuff neatly on the nightstand next to his bed and strolled over to a small table on the opposite side of his bed. He reached inside the small compartment located on the right side of the table and took out two small devices.
The first device was in the shape of a square. It was see-through and on the inside were a number of intricate electronic parts that would've been difficult for the majority of the people of earth and the alien's home world to comprehend.
The alien pressed the small triangular button on the left side of the device and held it to his body. He relaxed as the device activated and quickly went to work repairing any bodily damage he suffered during his altercation with the Post Humans.
It took all of two minutes for the device to heal his wounds. Once the device finished doing its job, the alien returned the device to its spot in his drawer and picked up the other device.
The second device was slightly larger in size and shaped triangularly with jagged edges. Unlike the first device, this one wasn't see-through, but its insides were just as intricate as the first. The alien activated the device and waited patiently for a response.
Seconds later, a live holographic image of another red skinned alien emerged. “Supreme Commander, I bring news on the humans,” the alien said. He stood tall, nodded, and bowed before his leader.
“Rise Azir,” the Supreme Commander said.
Azir rose to his feet and waited patiently to be granted permission to speak.
While Azir was quite intimidating in stature and looks to the Ascendants, he was nothing more than a scientist on his home world. Azir stood near seven feet tall while his superior was nearly a foot taller and even larger.
“What news of the human world do you bring?”
“My lord, I have just recently returned from battle. I encountered three humans with abilities.”
&n
bsp; The Supreme Commander smiled. Sharp jagged, brown stained teeth flashed. In the background what looked like hundreds more of Azir's kind stopped what they were doing and listened in on the conversation. “Go on.”
“My lord, I battled two of the male species and one female. They each possessed a different ability.”
“What sort of abilities did these humans possess?”
Azir thought back to his battle. “One male, dark skin and built rather strong for a human possessed increased strength.”
The Supreme Commander snickered. He felt there was no equal in regards to strength when it came to his oppositions. “How strong could he have possibly been?”
“Nowhere near as strong as you my lord and nowhere near as strong as the Genoshians.”
The word “Genoshians,” always evoked a strong reaction from the Supreme Commander. In fact, it evoked a strong reaction out of just about every Ashtarian that ever lived.
Azir continued. “I do need to say that while this particular human displayed a power set far less superior to ours, I have seen on the thing they call a television, others that certainly can rival our strength my lord.”
The Supreme Commander did not like the sound of that. He gritted his teeth and began to pace around the command center of his massive warship. “What of the other two you encountered?”
“The other male, he seemed to know the two he battled with, but from what I could tell, he was not with them. I do not know how to explain it, but I know that when the battle was over, he left alone.”
“What can he do?”
Azir thought back to his encounter. Out of the three it was Lucas that impressed him the most.
“He was able to manipulate ice. He produced ice from his body and used it to trap me.”
The Supreme Commander cocked his head slightly. He turned around and spoke in another language to the navigational officer before turning back to face Azir. “You were encased in ice?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“This human produced ice from within himself. There was no sort of technology used to aid him?”
The Ascendants: Genesis Page 8