Second Genesis

by Eric Williams

  “Or what?” Rhymes insinuated.

  Lillian crossed her arms while stopping right behind him, forcing him to turn around. He had a pistol in a holster next to his right hip. She could smell the silver and grinned. “Silver bullets, where is the trust?” She walked off slowly. “Any immortal can form what we call, a blood pact. It's where your lore gets some of their tidbits for silly little blood oaths where men and women would cut their hands to make pacts in the old days. A blood pact in our world however, is simply when some Alpha forces a lesser being to drink their blood, provided of course they’re the same species. It can enslave Betas and below, allowing an Alpha control. And in the case of Grand Alpha’s, the power to control other Alphas.”

  Sophie listened to her and asked. “So, an Alpha could control others not created by them then?”

  “Only those of the same species Madam Supreme. You see, drinking the blood of another immortal species can be deadly at times. It's been used as a weapon in the past against other races. Vampires for example can’t drink the blood of other Immortium or Aeonians, it's… incompatible. As mentioned previously, it's why hybrids of two eternal species cannot come to be. Only breeding with humans is possible. My guess it's the whole dominating effects of the alien element inside them. Anyhow, the immortal conclave is a ticking time bomb ladies and gentlemen and eventually they will attempt to test your resolve, and begin attacking facilities, this one being the strongest, I would assume an attack here, would give them an idea of what they’re up against. Should they breach your walls, they could force feed your newly emerged original immortals into submission and have an army at their disposal. Unless of course, you allow them to come into their own, and join the Society of Night, you know, to ensure stability.”

  Rhymes huffed. “That sounds like a threat?”

  Lillian laughed. “Grand General. I am warning you and teaching you all at the same time. I have Alpha’s with sworn loyalty to the Society of Night, ready and willing to blood pact your emerging source immortals. If we don’t others will try given these people have no idea what they can even do yet.”

  Rhymes continued his ranting. “And what, give you full reign, give you an army at your disposal?”

  Lillian turned around rolling her eyes playfully. “Grand General, you’re more than welcome to do the same thing with the Alphas you trust, I care not, so long as they follow the Society of Night’s newly developed laws. Such as our first one, never turning any human without their consent. We are not your enemy Grand General. But I assure you, the Immortal Conclave is, along with a few other factions waiting for the perfect moment for attempting their moments of grandeur.”

  Lillian continued. “Have your generals make blood pacts of their own if you so desire. I would even suggest offering Immortium assimilation cells to your remaining Mellitus-32 survivors. It would give them a chance to go home, instead of living a life in quarantine. Simply require them to enlist as payment for a cure, because you will need loyal forces. Mark my words, you’re on borrowed time. Immortals have spent centuries in constant political struggles. Now that their silly dogmatic views have been shaken, factions will rise, factions will fall, the strongest will remain intact and I would love to see the Society of Night working alongside humanity endure the test of time.”

  Each General in the room looked at one another. There were thousands of mellitus-32 survivors being housed. Such a proposal gave each one, food for thought. Though the dangers of such did present to the less war hungry that were present.

  She took her seat slowly, eyeing everyone in the room. “Silver is our Achilles heel, that and beheading. Your new silver compound, S7 can reverse assimilation if caught within the first two hours of initial unwanted infections. Something that my people helped your own develop by the way.” She looked at Rhymes. “Just remember to do a cardiac scan first, otherwise you might kill your patient if the heart has been converted beyond the nodule development stage.”

  She yawned. “We have pledged our greatest warriors to assisting your protective details for your world leaders without any complaints. We have also given full disclosures of everything we can do, along with abilities that have been rumored. I am simply here as an ambassador that only wishes to see all immortal beings that are emerging be reunited with their families, that and full efforts in cohabitation coming into play. That’s all Grand General. I would appreciate a little evolution on your part.”

  Rhyme’s ex just glared back at him.

  _____

  Xairin.

  Xairin remained in restraints. He had given up struggling, there was no use. He just glared at a droid standing in front of him holding out a bag of cloned O Negative, waiting for Xairin to take the line attached to it and suck it down like some elongated straw in a capri sun box. He was still in denial. He had a few additional memories surface, mostly a repeat of what he endured in the sewer. As for the bat part, he recalled something white and big, biting into his wrist, and remembered something that felt like it traveled up his arm but refused to accept it being some alien vampiric organism.

  His stomach was starting to gurgle a little. He felt a burning sensation starting to travel inside his veins, it was a subtle. At first, he thought he was having a hot flash of some kind, that thought started to wane. He felt something traveling under his skin, like a worm or hatchling snake, burrowing. In reality it was muscle tissue growing, but for Xairin, it was painful and caused him to gasp when he looked at his right arm and saw the skin raising up.

  “What is that?” He asked. The droid just ignored him. “What is that? What's under my skin?” Before the droid could answer, Xairin had a mental flash. He could see through the albino’s eyes for a split second. It was in flight, looking at other bats around it. He could see them plain as day. They were huge and had become more humanoid. They were covered in brown fur and had bulbous shaped heads. One bat looked over and seemed to grin with its sharp curved teeth that glistened in the start light sky. The next thing he saw was a forest below. The connection broke. “OH MY GOD!”

  “This can’t be happening. It just can’t, this just can’t.” He thought. The longer he held out on feeding, the more it forced his body to rely on other reserves. His vampiric cells were attacking his fat tissue in waves, devouring one cell, and releasing a stem cell version with instructions to build more muscle, and aid in the transformation process. He was starting to slim down, and bulk up all at once, though it was slow to watch.

  His hunger began to gnaw at him. It prompted a sweat that dripped down his chest, soaking his blue hospital gown. He was becoming feverish. He shook his head from side to side, again, attempting to squirm free. The more he moved, the hungrier he became, the more his cells absorbed his adipose tissue, the more he starved. To his surprise, he was starting to smell the blood, even though the bag was sealed. A primal sense was asserting itself. Xairin licked his lips while looking at the pint of blood. “This is really happening…” He thought. Finally, he looked at the droid. “Ok, fine, I’ll try the blood.”

  The white medical droid, came closer, offering a six-foot IV line attached to the bag. The droid placed the line in Xairin’s mouth. He began sucking on it. It was the longest annoying straw he had ever encountered, his jaws hurt from sucking so hard. His mind went to the gutter. This is worse than sucking a long girthy dick!

  The droid however was keeping its distance, Xairin just kept on working the IV line, until finally the red liquid reached his mouth. Xairin expected a coppery taste, or something salty or bitter. His new taste buds had made their adjustments already, to Xairin it tasted delicious, like a warm milkshake of some kind, the droid’s hand was warming the bag after all.

  Xairin’s eyes opened wider with each succulent gulp. Inside his body, each cell acted as if they had a mind of their own, and were aching in starvation, demanding replenishment. Xairin had no idea he had drained the bag to the point of making that annoying sucking noise when something was empty. “More... I need another one! He said. S
urprised at what came out of his mouth.

  The droid obliged, offering a second bag, this time cloned B+. Xairin could see the letters on a white label plain as day on the pint of blood. This time the droid just hung the bag on an IV pole, and fed him that way, making it a little easier. Xairin continued drinking.

  The more he fed, the more his own cells became vibrant. They moved faster. They released more cells inside his heart and began sharing the proteins and vitamins in liquid form, along with the electrolytes the blood carried. His cells began speaking to him. A strange calmness began to settle. The alien DNA inside his body began to whisper into his core. He began to feel some strange peace and understanding of what he was becoming.

  Xairin consumed four pints without realizing it. Each one made him stronger, calmer. The burning in his veins and feverish sensations were gone. He was content, peaceful. That was until the pain in his mouth began.

  Xairin’s jaws and gums began to throb. “What the hell?” He mumbled as one of his upper incisors fell out, followed by a bottom set. The droid was ready and had a spit cup on hand. “What is happening to me?”

  Calmly the droid informed him. “Your body is rejecting the dentin in your mouth, new teeth will begin growing directly from your skull now, they’re simply pushing the old ones out of the way Mr. Thunder. Try and relax.”

  Startled, “That’s easier for you to fucking say! This shit hurts!”

  He spit out another couple of his teeth, this time a molar, and a canine. Followed by a few more.

  The pain in his mouth was like a baby teething all over again. His gums throbbed and felt raw and irritated. His entire mouth just hurt. The entire process took a matter of five minutes to complete as the last tooth fell out into the spit cup. Xairin’s voice reflected the sudden abrupt loss. “My mouth hurts so bad. Please, I need something for the….” He screamed. “AHHHHHHHHHHHH.”

  Razor sharp teeth began to erupt through the bloody holes in his mouth. They felt like nails bursting through his excoriated gums. One by one, he grew a new set of teeth, each one far sharper. He cut his tongue on one that ripped through.

  He whimpered. “WHY ME?”

  Once the last one emerged, his new teeth became metamorphic. They changed from sharp deadly weapons, into what looked like his original teeth, just a few shades whiter. At least that part is over with. He thought.

  Xairin was growing tired. The droid recognized this and tilted the table into a prone position. The clamps were removed. The droid proceeded to untie the strings around his neck and removed the hospital gown, leaving Xairin naked. He was too tired to protest,

  “What’s happening? Why am I so sleepy?” He asked. Xairin could barely move a limb he was so tired, almost feeling drugged and helpless all over again.

  “Mr. Thunder, it's normal after your first real meal. Just go to sleep Mr. Thunder, in a few days you’ll feel better.” The droid said while walking away.

  “Days?” Xairin said with a deep sound of exhaustion.

  Xairin’s eyes shut as his sweat glands started producing a milky white substance. The fluid was all over his body and was spreading. Within a matter of thirty minutes, his body had engulfed itself in a white gooey film that started to resemble the embryonic sacs in the cavern that Lillian had emerged from. By forty-two minutes in, he was encased in his own translucent sac with purple veins starting to sprout like roots across the membrane exterior

  By an hour in, his face looked more nosferatu now, batlike and hairless. Inside his body, rapid changes had sped up from the first feeding. His wings were growing inside his back, along with every cell finishing being absorbed and reborn. Though he was monstrous in appearance, his muscular perfection was hinting through the milky white membrane. No longer did his body look out of shape, his body was sculpted now. He had abs brimming with potency. He was developing muscular arms that were not over the top, but enough to show off if he so chose. His chest followed the same evolution. It wasn’t over the top but defined. His legs had bolstered, along with the muscles in his back to support his new form. His face had slimmed down while his reproductive organs had enhanced giving him a girthy length. Eight inches was the immortal norm, Xairin was pushing 8 inches and seven centimeters, the morning would factor still applied to even immortal beings. If he was awake, this would have been a tad bit awkward since his erection could be seen through the translucent sac.

  A monitoring scanner in the corner of the room, scanned Xairin’s encasement. Xairin was developing faster than the others. A recording was sent directly to Doctor Battle’s cloud drive for review.

  _____

  Two hours later.

  Lillian had sat there listening patiently to the council members around her. She agreed with most points, other points she tried to sway. In the end, accords were reached, though Rhymes continued his petty attacks.

  They had agreed to work on bolstering the Society of Night in exchange for additional intel on the factions Lillian opposed. It had also been mutually agreed upon, that fighting fire with fire, infection against an infection would be offered to the Mellitus survivors in exchange for enlistment as Lillian had suggested, though they would function outside The Society of Night’s Alpha’s control but adhere to their policies. The act itself would save the world government millions on healthcare being provided now that a sudo cure had been found. They had also agreed on reviving all victims in cryogenic stasis and begin plans of releasing those already converted with the understanding they would be required to join a Society of Night Chapter and as much as some of the racially divided members present mentally oppressed the idea, Alphas would be assigned to those willing to commit to the blood pacts. Sophie hoped this wouldn’t end in being some new form of slavery since an Alpha could take control of their subordinates among the Society. As for the trusted generals whom would be transformed into Alphas to help control those who enlisted, it would be mandatory. Lillian had assured them there were limitations to that ability of controlling the lesser eternal creatures.

  Lillian sat back in her seat. “Since we have an agreement on releasing your Immortium and Aeonian patients once you finish your research, we can move on to a few pieces of intel that I selectively kept from you until I knew I could trust you. For one, you’re going to need to begin retinal scans of all immortals belonging to the Society, those who enlist, and those loyal to rogue factions upon their capture.”

  Rhymes raised an eyebrow. “EXCUSE ME?”

  Sophie asked. “Why retinal scans?”

  Lillian smirked. “The eyes are the windows to the soul Madam Supreme. With all immortals that couldn't be truer. You see. Anytime an immortal, regardless of the breed is injured, we can enter that embryonic state to repair ourselves. What you don't know, is that in that state, we can permanently alter our facial structure. Sure, we keep the same hair color, same eye color, but our faces can completely change with each regeneration. Only hair color and the eyes remain the same. Since we lack the ability to leave fingerprints behind unless we will the patterns in our hands to raise up, it's the eyes that can identify us. We immortals can simply look into the eyes of one another and recognize the ocular structure, but you humans, will need an advantage and use your technology to pull this off. All Immortium and Aeonians will require retinal scans to prove who they are Madam Supreme.”

  Rhimes’s eyes widened. “Why the hell didn’t you tell us this sooner?”

  Lillian scoffed, “Trust Grand General, trust… I earn yours, you earn mine, it's a simple give and take.”

  Lillian adjusted herself and folded her arms while leaning forward. “I told you that the conclave was your biggest enemy. This is true, however, their leadership, I cannot confirm at this time. You see… Their former leader, Jaxalon was dispatched and I have no idea who is leading the conclave now.”

  Miss Eastwick spoke up. “I read about this Jaxalon in a journal we came into possession of. Some rogue who believed himself to be an angel of death. Yes?”

  Lillian nodded cu
riously at the fiery old redhead sitting a few seats down from her. “Jaxalon was at war with a faction calling themselves, The Fallen. Their dogmatic beliefs had them convinced they were fallen angels and had formed some religious pact, that involved overthrowing god. As you all know, psychic energies are real given the emergence of your sensitives.”

  She waited until she saw enough council members nod before continuing. ” Centuries ago they found ways to syphon psychic energies given off from worshipers, prayer in itself can manifest various phenomena given enough believers behind it. It can be a dangerous thing…They were using this ability to bolster their own psychic abilities.” She rolled her eyes. “They thought they could become gods. Anyhow, as for the angel of death part, it turns out he was likely just the descendant of someone infected by what was probably a crow or raven carrying the Aeon Strain. It would account for their ability to sense decay and death I suppose, that and the black feathery wings. But yes, Jaxalon was their leader, and notorious for scheming against other immortal beings. He even managed to win me over for a time. He had convinced me that if we worked together, we could bring The Fallen down and end Olympian tyranny over other immortals.”