He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.

- Revelations 21:6

Chapter 1

“Finally we’re here!”. You could hear all of the kids rejoicing, finally having arrived at our destination. New Haven, the city of wonder... But how could this utopia have survived? After all the bombs dropped, how was it possible that an entire city survive? I wasn’t the only one but hell it was rough. I still couldn't believe the fact that a whole city stood, in a Utopian state in all it’s glory, unscathed and untouched by the Great War. It seemed almost surreal. I thought back to the times when I had to kill just to make it through a day. Not just animals…but the raiders…even some of the wastelanders. But things were going to be different here, I thought. But I could not have been more wrong.

After being shown to our living quarters, we were all given standard issue clothing. I couldn't say that they were stylish, but hell, it was better than my ragged, war-torn battle gear. The one rule that I despised was no weapons. But hell, in a utopia, shit ain’t always pretty and prim is it? I kept my gun close and my family closer and nothing was going to stop that.

Chapter 2

Damn it. I knew this was gonna happen. As he awoke to the sound of a door closing ever so softly, he turned to confront his son. Silently, almost effortlessly, he got up from his bed and approached his son. "Where have you been?". I could see it in Blake's eyes… Searching for some wise ass excuse to his mischief. "Uh… nothing. I just came back from a short walk." he retorted. He just didn't get it, I guess. "Bullshit and you know it. I don't want you sneaking out like that. At least tell me next time. Now go to your damn room." A sigh of relief filled the air as I eased up. "Blake," he said, almost expecting a response. 

"Yeah Dad?" 

"I love son. Don't ever forget that. But don't pull this crap again o.k.?"

"Yeah Dad. Sorry, I just wanted to go out and have some fun you know?" he responded groggily.

"Yeah I understand. Now get some sleep."

… 

It was 6 o'clock. God the time flied. As I got up, I felt a sharp pain in my hand. "Uh." I let out a short groan before getting up to check if Blake was still sleeping. Sure enough, he was out like a light. I decided to leave him a note and let him get some more rest. "Hunting time." I said to myself quietly, as I grabbed the keys and my hunting rifle. I frantically scrawled a note on a crumpled piece of paper lying on the table.

Blake,

I left out to do some hunting. Hopefully I can catch something half decent. Don't go anywhere until I come back. Food's in the fridge and there's still some cola on the counter if you want it.

Dad

That would suffice, I thought. As I grabbed my duster, I had a feeling it was going to be a long day.

Walking through the serenity of the apartment almost made me wish I had stayed just a bit longer to clear my head. Before leaving I grabbed my gas mask, locked the door and headed out into the bright sunlight. "Damn," I said. "Near goddamn blinding out here." Quickly throwing on my duster and shades, I began the walk to the gates. After picking a breakfast in the market, which consisted of eggs, a small steak, and a slightly irradiated water; I stopped into a few stores. None of them had what I needed. But every one of then had what I was looking for. Ammunition. The easiest and cheapest commodity to buy and sell. Hell, come across a dead man out in The Wastes and you could have one hell of a dinner that night. I guess this time I would be rolling out with just 30 .308 Armor Piercing rounds and just 4 standard .308s. Capable enough to stop a few coyotes, or raiders for that matter. Out here, there was no good or evil. There was only survival. What I once thought was evil became my good. Living in The Wastes really could blur a man's sense of morality. Even when a raider begs for their life, you take it. Because if not, they would've taken yours, even if they say otherwise a million times over.

Those guards always seemed to have an affinity for my rifle. Always stopping me to see the gun, even when I didn't have it they wanted to talk about it. Hell, maybe one day I'll find a near useless one that I can fix up for them.

As I finally exited the gates, just after talking with the guards, I looked out and saw emptiness. A vast emptiness left only by a post-apocalyptic desert. Not even a trace of life…But somehow, somewhere there was the waters of life… just like Revelation 21:6…"To him who is thirsty I will give to drink freely from the waters of life."

Chapter 3

Finally I arrived at my planned spot. It felt so good to be back in a familiar place. Home sweet home. I started to unpack my gear and lay out the days plan. Water, check. Armor piercing rounds, check. Variable optics scope, check. Now all I had to do was make sure the rifle was ready. All the time I had at home, I still couldn't resist cleaning and checking it in The Wastes. 

As I began to check my rifle and next thing I know, I got 2 raiders staring down at me. I could hear their footsteps before they even found me but damn, this was gonna be a rough one. As one began to reach for my shoulder, I flipped him over my back and onto the ground. In one swift motion, I picked up my rifle and fired a shot right into the knee of the 2nd raider. Instead of reloading, I knew it would be quicker to use my combat knife. In a whirlwind of precision, I swept down, avoiding a lunge from the wounded raider and slit the dazed raider's throat. Then, swiftly removing my blade, I slowly walked towards the injured raider.

Spinning the knife around my hand, I was his God now. I determined whether he lived or died. I could be his saviour or the harbinger of death. I could have spared him, but I couldn't show mercy to the merciless. So I took his knife, tossing it aside carelessly and hugged him, driving my knife deep into his heart. I knew my face was the last image to be burned into the recess of his mind.

1/10/12

Sci-Fi Story

Upon earth, 15 hours after the first of the pods launched, it crashed to the ground. In the middle of a concrete road in a small town, the villagers came to observe the uniqueness of this foreign object never before seen. At the moment of impact this first Martian felt the impact through its body. Like nothing it had even felt before, as the cylindrical capsule was forced by the intensified gravity of a much bigger planet, sent it smashing into the ground. The weight of its safety belt squeezed it down, tight against the seat. So tight the belt squeezed against it’s wearer threatening to cut it in half. Meekly he raised his tentacle easily pushing it away from him, as lifting it was too heavy without the gravity equalizer activated. It slowly crawled across the floor of its ship as it felt that the sheer weight of their air was forcing his body through the atomic holes in the floor. Luckily to activate the equalizer the switch needed to be pulled down, and with ease after several earth hours the Martian managed to reach it.  With a grunt of strength it lifted one of it’s extremities against the weight of this world and forced the lever back down. In an instant the machine buzzed and hummed. It rumbled and snapped as the engine came to life, equalizing the gravity inside the capsule. Now there was work to be done, to construct the war machine. Freely it’s tentacles whipped around and throughout the capsule putting pieces of metal, screws, and joints in place. It tightened and loosened them, to construct the machine that it had to memorize back home. As it constructed it thought of home. What will happen if this doesn’t work? What is their future, so few of their people remain. The future relied upon its actions. The idea was frightening almost too much to bare.

He was ready as the last screw was tightened into place. To begin, pushing a button lifting the cylinder straight up against the gravity and above the lip of the crater.  The view from inside his metal home was fantastic. The hills of flourishing plants along the countryside and rolling hills that went for miles were all in view. A blue sky that it’d only heard about in the temples of old, before they were destroyed. In the distance it saw the clouds meet the land in the form of a fog that blurred into the distance. The beauty of this world, so fresh, overtook it, this world was innocent of the troubles that its planet had endured. But it had a mission; it was race against race and for its race to survive this one could not.

Ahead it saw mechanical beasts, similar to it’s own in material but much lower and that seemed to move, almost fly across the ground so smoothly. Humans ran across the ground, running from the standing tripod. A bang isolated its attention, coming from one of the humans vehicles. The explosion shot metal right across the top of the Martians war machine. This undoubtedly was a violent act, a show of aggression that stopped any thoughts of “is this right?” in the mind of this first Martian. So it in turn fired away, a heat ray shot a beam across the space between its and this planets machinery. The target turned white, burning any humans in it alive and began softening much like any metal would do under intense heat. This was the beginning of their mission, neutralize resistance, take control, and make it suitable for the remainder of the Martians to arrive. This was its constant reminder of its duty, all for the mission.

The Ayngel’s Bell

 

Chapter One:

            3000 feet underground laid a cavern that was transformed into a lab by one of the greatest scientist of that time period. Bleeping lights and flashing noises filled the lab. His machines and gadgets where a symphony of chaos. “Dr. Chase, we’re running out of time. They’ll be here any moment.” Mr. Heddings yelled over his shoulder as he scrambled back and forth around the lab gathering supplies and equipment. “I only need a couple more minutes Heddings. Just a couple more minutes. She’s almost ready.” He leaned over the body of a young woman who was laid out on a cold steel table. Her chest was opened with wires and cables hanging out. Sighing, Mr.Heddings nodded in acceptance and continued packing. He located only the essential blueprints and documents and stuffed them all into a folder as Dr.Chase put final touches on his latest project. He was creating an “angel” as he constantly would refer to it.  She was seemingly human with the exception of a few things. Her internal make up was all wires, chips, and plugs; creatively arranged to be connected to one main motherboard located in the center of her chest. She was a robot glazed in synthetic skin.
            Just as Dr. Chase closed up her chest and locked it with a blue tinted key, the wall in front of them exploded. Smoke and debris from the equipment lined along that wall erupted inward followed by lines of red laser lights. A team of armed men filtered in the room within seconds yelling and pointed their guns towards Chase and Heddings. “Step away from the android!” they yelled as they charged towards them. Chase slid the key into the pocket of the android’s pants just as one of the men grabbed him and threw him to the ground. “What’s our order Alpha?” the man holding down Chase asked. An armed man, noticeably larger than the rest of them, walked in through the hole blown into the wall and looked around. “Extract then dispose the Android. Clean Everything Else.” The man holding down Chase nodded once and then without another second stood and shot him in the head.
            Heddings flinched and looked away from the now lifeless Doctor. “The Ayngel’s Bell will sound... and you all... will rue this day” he mumbled to himself. He stared into the goggles of Alpha with sympathy. “If only you weren’t so stubborn.” Alpha shrugged casually to himself. “If only you weren’t so naive.” In one timeless motion, he raises his gun to Heddings’ forehead and pulls the trigger.

 

Chapter 2:

            I was sitting at the bottom of a hill on the side of the river bank. It was my secret hide out because it was shrouded by shade from the trees and bushes at the top of the hill. I had built a shack down here a couple years back as like an escape from life. I stocked it with everything I needed like food, clothes, a bed, and my tool kit. I was a self proclaimed robot engineer. I tinkered here and there, made little bots to help around, and worked with a team of techs. We hack systems, and screw with the government for a living. The governments been corrupt and working on something big for the couple years. Our plan was to eventually break past their security system and find out exactly what they were planning. 

-Brrrringggg-
My cell phone goes off, breaking my thoughts. 

“ Oh my gosh Lawrence! We need to meet. Like now. KT found activity with the gov’s shadow team.” 

Just as I’m about to respond to the excited voice on the phone, a female body comes tumbling down the hill and topples over the edge of the bank into the river. Reflexes gots the best of me and before I actually realized it, my phone was on the ground and I was jumping into the river after her. Her body floated a couple feet ahead of me, being pulled by the current. The river would get rough if we floated too much further down stream. Kicking a little with my legs I covered the distance between us and caught her by the arm. She was unconscious, but hopefully not dead. I caught hold a large branch handing in the river and with much effort and exertion pulled the two onto land. My body begged me to relax for a moment but my mind was too locked on making sure I didn’t just save dead weight. 

“Hey lady, come on and wake.” 

I pushed down on her chest a couple times but nothing happened. Placing my ear to her chest, I could hear something. It didn’t sound like a normal heart beat but it was something. I scrambled for my phone and called my car. It locked onto our location and with a couple minutes my car came gliding down the hill and spun into a perfect park. The door jutted open and I lifted her into the back seat. Sitting down next to her the doors close and the car’s auto voice asked “Where to, bro?” 

“Nearest Hospital.” 

The car shifted gears then blow up the hill, skidded onto the road, and zoomed off. Horns and yells rang around the car as I sat in the back of the car trying to figure out what to do with the her. After a moment I remembered something I had learned in a health class; CPR. I pushed her silver hair out of her face and leaned down. When I touched my lips to hers there was a sharp electric surge that shoot through me and sent me jutting up and hitting my head on the car roof. “Are you okay?” the car asked me. “Y-yeah. Just focus on the road.” I could feel the car tense and speed up  but then suddenly the car jerked and pulled over to the side. 
“Losing Power. Please remove source of energy loss bro.” 

Pushing down the passenger front seat and climbing into the driver’s seat I pulled open the car’s operating menu. 
“Unknown source of energy lose. Please Remove. Unknown source of energy loss.”

The words scanned across the screen repeatedly as the car’s battery meter continued to drop. “We do not have time for this!” I yelled half at myself and half at the car as I slammed my hands on the wheel. Suddenly from the back of the car there was a loud crashing sound and then a thud. I turned around to see the girl trying to climb out of the back window frantically. I grabbed the side of her leg and pulled her back into the car. 
“Let go!” she screamed and then pressed her back into the door of the car like she was trying to melt through it. Her face was panicked and confused and her eyes were...well... I don’t even know... they were an electric blue color. “Calm it down, k. I just saved your life.” The insides of both her eyebrows creased down and she stared at me intently. “What is going on?” 
I looked at her confused then climbed into the back seat to sit next to her. She was cautious but said nothing. “You came rolling down a hill and went straight into the city’s main river. I saved you’re life. Was taking you towards a hospital but I see you’re fine now.” 
Her body physically relaxes and she stares out my broken car window. “I don’t... remember...anything...” 

I sighed excessively and stared down at the floor of my car. “Look, I have to get...somewhere. Can I drop you off, uhm...” 

“Canta” she said cutting me off. “My name is Canta... Can... I come with you?” 

Her eyes locked to mine and she tilted her head in a way that made her silver hair fall perfectly over half her face. “Please...”

There was no way I could say no so I simply nodded twice. “But we’ll have to walk. Car needs to sit and recharge.” 

We stepped out the car, I turned on the solar panels on the roof of the car, and we headed towards my tech team’s headquarters. 

Chapter 4:

 

It’s been about 2 months since the day I first met Lawrence and his band of rebels. So much has happened. That first day when I met them I knew something was wrong with me. Something was… unnatural. When I had first awakened in Lawrence’s car, it was like I was being electrocuted and overwhelmed with this surging energy. I felt it again when I had touched my fingers to that keyboard in their headquarters. It was like I could link to the systems and feel them; I could physically and emotionally feel them. I told Lawrence about it that night when him and I were alone and he told me not to worry about it. “Don’t worry about anything Canta. We’ll take care of you.”

They made me a room within their hq and despite the fact that it upset the rest of his team, Lawrence took me out every day with him to do different things. Some day’s we’d run errands, other days we’d watch ‘normal’ people living their ‘normal lives’. We lived in a world where humans and robots co existed under a government run by a super computer and three old men. Normal people had families and went to schools and had normal honest jobs. They were, for the most part, oblivious of the world Lawrence and I lived in. We could see things for what they were because we looked at the bigger picture. After looking over the files that we downloaded that first day we realized that the government was creating android, robots that could pass as humans, so that they could use them to infiltrate the other countries and take over. It was a world-wide law passed at the beginning of the AI- robot coexistence Era though, that it was illegal to make a robot that looked and acted human. Anyone caught doing so would be sentenced to life in prison or even death depending on the AI they created. 

As of this moment, Lawrence, his team, and I were the only people who knew exactly what was going on in the core of the Government and we were the only people who could do anything to stop it before it went too far. We had a program called ‘The Ayngel’s Bell’. It was the strongest virus on the planet, designed to totally crumble the government and annihilate all the androids. The Super God Virus Code. It was going to be my job to install the program since out of the five of us, I was the best coder and hack. Over the past two months we’ve been planning our infiltration plans and battle tactics. The one thing we didn’t go over though was the code for the Super God Virus. Last night I finally asked them how exactly they were planning for me to install it. I could hear Harrison and KT’s body stutter and raise a few degrees. I caught the weird jerk in Lawrence’s laugh as he tried to shake off the topic.

“We have all that under control, Canta. Don’t worry about it at all.” Erika said when the boys didn’t speak up right away.

They were hiding something. I couldn’t tell what but from their bodies I knew it was something they thought would be problematic for me to know. I pretended to be clueless, smiled, and said “Okay!” and then walked off to my room to do intense thinking. By now though, Lawrence knew my habits and patterns. The others accepted me dropping the subject but he knew better that that. When I went into my room I could hear them arguing.

“She needs to know the truth! We need to tell her now while we have the time.” Lawrence pleaded.

Erika snorted, like she did often. “We don’t have to tell her anything. We’ll tell her when we get in.”

“Do you not understand how this is going to end? Don’t you think she has a right to know?”

“Right!? She’s a -“

I think they remembered that I could hear them and because Harrison and KT hushed her and the conversation stopped. Lawrence burst in a couple seconds later.

“C’mon. We’re leaving for a while.” He said staring at me. There was something odd in his eyes. Sadness? Maybe worry.

He took my hand and pulled me through the base. Erika was glaring at him, Harrison was giving me a sympathetic look, and KT was doing something on the left desk system, trying to stay out of the situation.

Lawrence led me outside and then let go of my hand and relaxed. “What’s wrong?” I asked trying to piece together everything but my mind just couldn’t connect the dots. He looked at me again with those odd eyes. “Look Canta. I need to tell you something. I don’t care if it upsets any of them. You deserve to know.”

“Know what?”

He gripped my shoulders and stared at me with the most conflicted stare I’d ever encountered. Just as he was about to speak I could hear something shoot off a couple hundred feet away from us. Some deep inner instinct made me push Lawrence to the ground and raise my hand up. Before I could understand to motions, I was holding three bullets in my hand. “What are you-” he began but something inside was telling me we were in a dangerous situation and needed to relocate. I could feel something switch inside of me and then my thought process seemed to increase it’s speed by 100 folds. My mind couldn’t keep up with my motions because within seconds, I was picking up Lawrence, swinging him onto my back and then sprinting off down the pavement. Sounds waltz around me. Barely audible gun fires. I could hear each and every bullet splitting through the air and dodged them with a precision that wasn’t human. Up ahead was a large flight of stairs that lead to a walkway that went through the city’s center. I jumped on the railing and my feet shifted into wheels.

The next thing I knew I was skating down the railing, landing on the ground with sparks on my heels, jerking around a sharp corner, and then speeding down a very steep hill. For some reason I  knew there was tunnel about a 400 feet ahead. My legs swayed faster and for an instant I was flying. Unfortunately, I had gained too much speed and so when I tried to stop in the tunnel I tripped over myself and started to fall. Within the one instant that I was falling though I manage to shift Lawrence infront of me and skidded across the ground on my back. There was an odd smell of burnt rubber and my body felt… damaged. Too much was happening. I laid there, refusing to move until I got a grasp on what exactly was going on.

            Lawrence looked at me, gripped my shoulders like he had the second before all this had started and shook me. “Canta, Canta don’t shut down on me please. Respond.” He talked to me like I was some command system. My eyes shift to meet his. “Canta Respond.” He repeated as he started to lift me. I pulled away from him and stood on my own, ignoring the fact that as I stood the skates on the bottom of my feet retracted. I hugged myself for a moment, afraid that the confusion would tear me apart if I didn’t defend myself from it.  I could hear foot steps back at the stairs about 500 feet off. They didn’t come up as a threat to me even though I could tell they were trying to be. “What... Am I Lawrence?” I turned to look at him and he tried to look away but I caught him but his stubble-haired chin. “What am I?” His eyes averted mine and irritated me. Not paying attention, the hand holding his chin receded and a fine knife took its place. “You will tell me the truth.” I could feel the volume of my voice sharpen as my arm rotated backwards and fired the knife off and into the throat of someone trying to sneak up from behind us.

“You’re the Ayngel’s Bell, Canta.” He mumbled as he stared warily at the dead man behind us. Locking eyes, he continued, “You’re an Android. Built with the Super God Virus in you.”

My brain processed all the information in a second and concluded “You’ve all been using me…You’ve been lying to me all this time just to use me and them get rid of me.” He shakes me once in aggravation. 

“I’ve wanted to tell you. When we realized what you were, what would happen to you once all this was over. I wanted to tell you”

Sudden above us I could hear something coming towards us. Something heavy with propellers. A helicopter. I pulled away from him and went down to the entrance of the tunnel. Looking up I searched for the helicopter. My eyes automatically locked onto it and zoomed in. My arm raised and after a moment I could feel it dislocated, detach, and blast away from me. It shot up towards the helicopter and after a moment exploded. The copter exploded in the air and flaming pieces of metal fell to the ground.

“We need to go. We need to crash the Government’s system tonight.” I said as I walked back to Lwarence’s side. He nodded once and without another word I threw him back on my back and headed back to headquarters. Tonight had to be the night that we do what I was designed to do. I could not stay another day in a lie.

 

Chapter 5:

            Without any warning, Canta and Lawrence came exploding into hq. Erika, Harrison, and KT immediate were woken up. “Let’s go guys. We’re activating Ayngel’s Bell tonight.” Canta said walking over to the right desk and clicking on the tower. Harrison stumbles out of his bed and rushes over to her side. “Woah there Canta, what the problem? We’re not scheduled to attack for at least another week.” Canta stripped down the security systems of the government ‘s made building while she listened to Harrison ramble. “Can’t wait that long. We go in tonight. I just took out all the power in their main building. It should stay down for at least two hours. You guys get me in there and I’ll do the rest.” KT tried to pull her chair away from the desk but Canta’s hand shifts into a gun and points at him. “I’m not asking.”

            Erika looked at Lawrence. “You told her?” Canta shook her head before Lawrence could answer. “Not in this life time. We were attacked. They know where we are, okay. This mission has been compromised. We need to go in now or not at all.”

            KT tilted her gun away from him, afraid she’s accidently fire it off with him standing in front of it. “You don’t even know how to active the Ayngel’s Bell do you?” She let her arm drop and felt through her database. “ I have the capability to active it. I just need to get to the super computer at the center of the central base… You all can stay here if you want but I’m going.” She looked over them as they all processed. The human brain’s thought processing skill was 10 times slower than hers.

“Fine, We’ll go in tonight, but you need to be careful. There will be androids there defending the core.”  Harrison said.

Canta looked up at him and smile “I’m well aware.”

            -To Be Continued. 

Sasha Sapp

1/12/12

English Q2BM

Final

 Slums

The sound of quick steps splashing through thick, mucky puddles caught the ears of grey silhouettes moaning agonizingly, at dusk. They jerked painfully towards the footsteps increasing in speed and with animalistic growls they tried to communicate with what they knew was a person from “the world”. The world of which they wish they could return; but their jagged movements and inability to stand thwarted these futile thoughts; their distorted faces and contaminated existence prevented them from returning.

            Though nonetheless, they stirred like the starving animals that they were perceived as by humans, for fragments of humanity was lost when the Third Flash hit.

            As the bodies in the once great city of Azeroth vacillated erratically, the footsteps stopped. Axus scanned the denaturalized landscape in search of one figure in particular. She furrowed her brows; squinting violet eyes at the general area where the young slum girl usually had lain. Where could she be? She thought perplexingly. She knew that the girl could barely move a few centimeters without howling in pain, so the idea of her trying shift somewhere else was out of the question. After looking around the general area of the wasteland, Axus reluctantly continued toward the warehouse while trying her hardest to ignore the shrieks and deathbed moans that penetrated her non-gas tight suit.  After all, the suit was designed to lockout contamination. Yet presently, Axus began to wonder if the suits should also be sound proof; she wondered if the tightness in her heart was a contamination of their wails.

 

            She reached the oxidized steel doors of the warehouse, and stood above a circular pod that dropped her below once it recognized her Vitanumber. Sliding down the shoot for about 3 seconds, she landed in the Abeochamber- the area that neutralized any toxins that settled on the outside of her suit. She released a great sigh as she removed her facemask and as the near suffocating body suit dropped to the floor and revealed her petite frame. Glancing momentarily at her reflection, she quickly threw on some loose slacks and a blouse. Suddenly, a low whistle caught her ear, and the sound grew closer and closer to her. She realized that it was Videi coming down the shoot- Yukan had damn near lived in the warehouse recently, so it couldn’t be him.

            Confirming her hunch, Videi landed gracefully with his knees slightly bent, and flashed a goofy grin at Axus.

            “Salve Axus,” he greeted in his usual cheery tone, “I- oh, you don’t look so well today, are you lacking supplements?” His deep blue eyes flashed with worry for a moment as he inquired her present state.

            “I thank you for the concern, but I’m quite alright Videi- greetings to you as well- it’s just that…” Axus habitually swept choppy brown locks away from her face and inhaled as she continued, “I can’t seem to find Elvira…I haven’t a clue of where she could have gone! Hell, she can’t turn on her rib-exposed belly without releasing the most horrifying shrill!” It hadn’t occurred to her that she was practically shouting at him, but her worry overcame her. Internally, Videi shrugged in annoyance. He didn’t know what the hell was the point about caring for a slum girl! She was bound by death! Her fate was sealed along with the crash of the Third Flash! As much as he loved her, he didn’t agree with her infatuation with that creature. But that mattered not, because she loved Yukan.

After dressing himself, and shooting her an even more worried look he replied, “I don’t know what to tell ya Ax, but honestly, we have more important things to tend to right now.” She would have been taken back by the seemingly heartless remark, but she knew Videi, and she knew that he was right.

“You’re absolutely right Videi,” she said weakly, “We must speak with Yukan! It’s been an entire month and he’s been down here doing God knows what!” After scanning their Vitanumbers, giant doors slid open, leading the researchers into the main branch of Likon. The dimly lit, dome-like lab consisted of thousands of machinery, constantly creating an unintentional mockery of the human heartbeats, with the buzzing and beeping of monitors. Videi sat at his computer and brought up a projection of the present state of the universe. He made a sharp intake of breath before relaying what he saw.

“Axus” he whispered as she cautiously turned in his direction. She could feel her face growing pale just at the possibilities of what he could say. Seconds later he finally spoke, “we’ve got less than 100 light years until the Fouth Flash.”

A hushed silence swept threw the room and Axus felt paralyzed in it. She wanted nothing more than to try to better the conditions on Earth, which is why she joined Likon a few years ago. Videi felt her strong distress in that second, and suddenly felt that same wave of sorrow crash over him- but for a more sinister reason. He wanted to comfort Axus, but for some reason, a different word choice crawled out from his mouth.

            “Axus, we are Likon. We are dozens of underground, slum dwelling researchers who share one common trait: we are hell bent on preventing this destruction yet again. We are here to try to ensure protection to the best of our abilities, and that’s all. No matter what it takes, we must protect our race. Take Yukan for example. Yeah the guy has lived here for a month, but he is head researcher. We better be happy that he does most of the work for us!” His chuckles were cut short by the low creak of a much older door opening slowly. A deep, baritone voice emerged from the darkness.

            “Glad that I can be of help to you Videe” started the deep voice, “Worry not Axus, hope is found yet again.” Axus stared in amazement at Yukan. His uncanny ability to function normally as a time like this was astounding. It was one of the many reasons that she loved him. The splashes of grey in his hair lit up when light was shone upon it only reinforced the obvious attraction that Axus had for him. She approached him warmly and tried to catch her professional mask before it slipped away.

            “Yukan! We’ve been worried sick about you! For an entire month, the lead researcher at Likon disappears! More importantly, whatever you have been doing, you haven’t bothered to even cue Videi and I in on it! We’re your partners, and we have been so for four years now! Yukan please! No Secrets!” her words seemed to have merely scrapped the exterior of Yukan. He had very deterministic ways. Nonetheless, he smiled while placing a calloused hand on her slender shoulder.

            “Of couse my dear Axus, no more secrets,”

            Her same weak smile appeared on her face at the moment. She felt…strange. It was like the pit of her stomach was boiling and the heat traveled to her heart. Something was off. She shoved it off for the moment as the 3 proceeded through the lab casually, even laughing lightly at minor jokes being tossed around. Like their jokes about the near crumbling ozone layer they helped repair by recapturing the lost nitrogen and oxygen molecules. Or even their pretentious attitudes towards the past usage of coal for energy. She noted how passionate the two men became when it came to this subject. They bashed and badmouthed the ancestors for not being more innovative, and remarked that solar energy should have been the first energy alternative when humans could even process this idea. According to Yukan, he would’ve changed the entire world if he had been born during that time period.

  Though, with all the lighthearted small talk being thrown around the room that same feeling welled inside of her once more. As if a parasite had been eating away at her innards…that’s how she felt; as if slowly and steadily, they gnawed at her major organs making her feel hollow.

            She knew what it was; she knew why this hollow feeling was surfacing in her. Throwing suspicious glances at her partners, Axus slowly paced around them as she finally spoke.

            “Something…something is wrong,” Videi and Yukan immediately snapped their heads upwards and gaped at her intensely. Habitually, she swept her shabby bangs away from her face. Inhaling sharply, she continued, “Videi, you just said that we were less then 100 light years away from the Fourth Flash and now…you’re so calm. Yukan, you’ve been hiding away from for one month, one month! We return, and you act as if nothing has happened or even changed. And moments ago, you just mysteriously said ‘hope is found yet again’. What exactly do you mean Yukan? I just have a terrible feeling that something is horribly wrong!” Once more, she found herself near shouting. Yukan and Videi exchanged confirming looks at one another, signaling that it was time. This did not go unseen buy Axus, who was now looking with bewilderment at the two men before her. Yukan approached Axus sternly, sighing as he did so. He knew…he knew from the start that Yukan would be against him completely. But you love me don’t you? I can see it in your eye’s Axus; you will not oppose me. 

            “Axus…come with me. It is true; I promised that there would be no more secrets between us. Come now, you want to see what I have been up to for the past month? I will show you,” He grabbed her hand and led her to the outmost test room located in the lesser used part of lab- Test Area C. The cylindrical pod scanned their Vitanumbers allowing them entrance. Upon entering, simultaneously a dozen lights bright lights flashed, one immediately following the other, guiding their eyes to a massive hourglass-like machine with what appeared to be an entity hovering inside of it. Walking in closer to the machine, Yukan began to speak.

            “Axus, you know this machine before you. It is one of most powerful devices on Earth- Model Dergon 90Y1- or better known as the Energy Harnesser,” they finally reached the base of the machine, when Axus could now see tubes transferring the black aura to a much smaller Energy Harnesser adjacent to it. She gasped realizing what was in the smaller harnesser. It was the power of the Flash. Yukan observed her gaze and continued on.

            “As you know Axus, the Third Flash, much like the Second, and the Infamous First, are accumulations of the photon particles being released from the sun. But as we’ve witnesses first hand, these photon particles have wiped out vast civilizations across the face of the earth, and the surrounding areas experienced the backlash of the rays- resulting in their terrible deformities, and the denaturalization of the terrain. I’ve studied the behavior of the photon particles. And to cut to the chase- they can be counter acted-” He paused when he heard sharp gasp.

            “It’s true? You’ve found a way to counter act the particles? How,- oh! It must be this energy that you are harnessing! What is it?!” She waited anxiously for an answer- though she felt as like she answer you would receive, would be one that she would oppose to her grave.

            “Much to your dismay Axus,” he caught Videi’s eyes once more, and went on, “the energy that I have discovered that will counter the power of the photon rays…is the power of human energy.”

            Axus’ eyes widen to the point where she felt it was possible for them to pop out of the sockets. She didn’t understand...How could he harness human energy? It was wrong!

            “Yukan! How could you! Humans! Why! We are here to protect our race! Not to take innocent lives! I don’t undestand!” she cried furiously. Yukan’s eyes flared red for a second- he had lost.

            “Axus, my dear. This is the only way. There must be sacrifices to be made if you want to prevent the Fourth Flash. More importantly, the specimen that I used was just a creature of the slums. Not a person, so worry not- although, I’m aware that for foolish reasons, you still oppose me”

            Axus stopped breathing in that moment. Her heart ached, and her stomach felt as though it was disintegrating inside of her. The taste of hatred swelled in her mouth.

She was bemused by the words that Yukan spoke. Then she lost control. Thorwoing her arms in the air like she was mad, she began,

            “Have you too turned you back on humanity, Yukan! Yes they may be deformed, but they are still humans! How dare you dehumanize them! -“ Yukan interjected before she continued.

            “Don’t act as if you are the savior of the slum people, Axus. Don’t let conceit get the best of you. You cannot save them. They are doomed for death. The young creature whose energy I am harvesting will save us all, I just need at least of all of the bodies from the slums, and then we can completely counteract the Fourth Flash! Don’t you see!” he paced swiftly as he spoke, “THIS WILL SAVE HUMANTIY!” He stopped once again, and saw her sobbing, “Poor Axus, you have too much love to give. You give it to these slum people, when indeed; their sacrifice will save us. In fact, you have no reason to love them any longer. The one that you loved has made the greatest sacrifice of all.”

            Just when she thought she couldn’t sob harder, she did so. She realized that the black floating entity that was being harnessed was Elvira. She fell to floor. She wondered, when had the world become so cruel? Yet to her dismay, you knew that she could not save the people of the slums. She knew that even if they could prevent the Fourth Flash, they would still suffer. But…even so, treating them like animals to be proceeding was the most morally unjust thing that she could contemplate. Yet, she saw for herself; the power countered photon rays. This is what I joined Likon for, is it not? I wanted to save the world, and now I can, she thought sickeningly.

            The two men just stared in pity at the woman before them. When you finally stood up, she waked over to the machine and hugged it tightly.

            “I’m so sorry Elriva,” she muttered, “I won’t allow your death to go in vain.”

 

            Looking upon the slums the three researchers gazed over the land, as it was now pitch black. Axus stared blankly and realized that she would physically and mentally be walking into the darkness. Yet, it was for the sake of the world right? She kept that thought in mind as the three researchers began cultivating the "creatures" of the slums in the night. 

 

 

 

           

           

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why Do I Write

 

If only the feeling of true self-recognition could be put into meaning,

Into a splatter of exploding visuals,

Into a serenade beautiful sounds,

Into a parallel reality where I am one with my inner parasite,

Maybe then, I could begin to explain the reason

Why I write.

 

This parasite within…

And how exactly do I coexist

with this symbiotic parasite?

or is it a parasitic symbiote?

Or is there not a difference?

But…

When I write…  

Am I channeling it?

Or is it channeling I?

I do not know…

BUT I STILL WRITE.

 

When the omnipresent universe decides to falsify my reality,

Where do I turn?

As if hope-ridden tears aren’t enough to satisfy its lust for pain,

Where else can I go?

Because seemingly, placing a barbed barrier stability and I won’t suffice-

What do I do?

I write.

I do not know why…

BUT I STILL WRITE.

 

Perhaps,

These hands of mine hold the words that refuse to roll off my tongue.

Perhaps,

These hands of mine hold the bittersweet idealisms trapped deep within my heart.

Perhaps…

These hands of mine hold the link to myself and the world-

 

 

I’m from

the wave less curves and
movement on the paper from the pencil
the smooth combination of words
moving to their own beat
the poetic lyrics
moving through the endless
and limitless mind
I’m from the
"Be as free as a stallion
running through the fields"
Type of poetry thang

I’m from
the consequences
of being sulked and submerged
in the devil’s taste
seeing the movement of objects
that aren’t really there
From the let’s go have fun

From girls night out

Or guys free night
Type of one night stand thang

I’m from
some ignorant
and multied emotional eyes
From the side snickers and comments
that always revolve in a circular motion around
but never towards me
From the rolling of eyes
but inspired action
the "She'll never be good enough,
she's nothing."
Type of girl jealousy thang

I’m from
some moving as freely
as a ballet dancer
the not holding back,
breaking out
the crazy and fun rapid movement
of the frame and physic
the "Go on girl, do your thang"
Type of dancer thang

I’m from
I’ve been to more funerals than close friends
lonely nights laying
looking at the ceiling
wondering why not me?
From the that’s a cat scratch and I fell down
the steps marks
the long nights yelling and debating with
my authorities that have yet to realize
my full potential
From lost childhood and lost innocence
A gift that was taken by force and can never be given
Type of abusive thang

I’m from
some repeated beats
with the words changing
until it gets to the chorus
the precussion mixing slowly
with the classical music
the voice and tone escaping my mouth
to create a sympathy
that moves the crowd
the multi racial and artists
creating the change of people
to create a better world and society
Type of singer thang

I’m from
some dark, colored,
and faded skinny jeans
the Converse and All Stars'
swiftly moving across the solid
and unbreakable pavement
the plain but colored
sequenced t-shirts
the "I"m kinda a tomboy
and it's comfortable"
Type of skater girl thang
I’m from
just being beautiful me

I am from humblesness 
form music and laughter
I am from hard work and strength
(delicious smells, friendly hearted)
I am from the empire state of mind
the city that never sleeps, the multi-
cultural people i'd see will forever stand in 
my memories.
I;m from the skies, grown up with lies,
that not everybody is a friend but an enemy
My family comes from dopey, grumpy, and doc
too funny, close-minded, and old
I'm from the South Americas
from eating empanadas, hot chocolate and
home made bread, from the sweats ,y 
father took, and the screams my mother cried
Above the thoughts my father had, there
lied silence a man who had to learn a total different language

I am from love  a family who will always stay strong
i am from ambitious a young woman who has come to this country to succeed