Essence: The E.S.T. Org. (6 page)

“What!? When!?”

“Well Nicholas, as you can imagine human parents seem to be unreasonably attached to the young vessels they produce. So we could not risk losing access to you. They were replaced before you arrived home after your first set of tests. Do not worry, they were not terminated.”

“Where are they?”

“They are safe, Nicholas, but they are also being used for experimentation. Obviously, they created you, so we need to study their physiology, as we have your own.”

“Please, let them go. It’s us you want, not them.”

“On the contrary, just as you three have been useful, your parents are also exceptionally useful to us. Again, as they created you, physiologically they must be studied.”

Mr. Macken continued. “Our primary intent was always to transfer our essence to a human, so that we may endure. But over time our goals expanded. Very soon we will create an army of hundreds of thousands or perhaps millions of clones.

“You see, eventually we can shed the disgusting human disguises we are forced to use, and be free to be who we truly are. But in order to do that, we will need a powerful army. We are far too precious and few to be captured or disabled. And the best part is, we do not have to risk a single one of our brethren to accomplish our goals.”

“So you think you’re invincible? You will be exposed! I bet a bomb that was large enough could destroy you all!” Nicky interrupts angrily.

“Funny child, our essence can remain in fragments smaller than your most powerful forms of magnification could see,” Mr. Macken’s face suddenly changes. He becomes more intense. “I sense you mean to break free from your restraints. It is true that you are more powerful than any restraint we could construct. But these restraints are not there to simply restrain you. If you do break free, your parents would be instantaneously terminated. The restraints are connected directly to a material we call chryuk* (*
Pronounced cry-yook
) situated directly above their heads. It is similar in appearance to an earthly crystal. We have tuned them specifically to your parent’s brain waves. Amazing what the chryuk can do to human brain matter. If you did break free it would be a ghastly display indeed. I suggest you quell your impulsive nature and remain laying still, or there will not be much of your parent’s remains to mourn.”

Nicky’s tense body relaxes. He can’t risk breaking a restraint.

“You see Nicholas, we are far superior to you and your barbarous, primitive kind. But what we have been able to create with you three is beyond human. It is even beyond the Chreé*”
(*Pronounced kray-ee, what the aliens call themselves).

Mr. Macken continues, “When we are finally able to replicate the correct physiological conditions that have made you three possible, our army can grow. Individually, we may not be as powerful as you three, but we will reproduce large numbers making this obstacle immaterial.

“We have obviously learned to capture the essence of humans and animals. Mysteriously, your physical attributes became infinitely superior to the animal and human vessels who housed them.”

“Why do I have these memories I don’t want?” Nicky asks.

“That is another puzzle. Unfortunately, we have been unable to completely remove the most recent life experiences of the spirits, as you call them, but hope to soon. Ahh … well I see we are ready for the final procedures.”

“But …”

Mr. Macken turns his head. “Full concentration, this may be our last opportunity to anesthetize him. His body is recovering too quickly now,” he instructs an assistant. The mask is placed over Nicky’s face and after a few minutes, Nicky goes to sleep. “Good night, Nicholas.”

Nicky awakens in his replicated room. His head is pounding.

«Welcome back, Nicholas.» He hears Mr. Macken in his head.

«You gave us quite a scare in our final enhancement procedures. You are much too important to lose now.» Mr. Macken continues, «As you can imagine, telepathy and many other enhancements are not human or earthly animal traits. We have been experimenting with our own essence. We have merged the essence of Chreé with you three. To our astonishment it has exceeded our expectations.»

«Wouldn’t you lose one of your own when you merge?» Nicky asks.

«Only a piece of our essence is necessary. This would not be possible with your kind. Now Nicholas, I am needed elsewhere. But before I go, I must warn you again, if you make any attempt at an escape, your parent’s lives will be terminated. Do you understand?»

«I understand … but how do I know they’re okay?» Nicky asks.

«You don’t. Will you chance it?»

«No … I will not.»

Finally Nicky is left alone to think.
“Why is this happening to me? I just want to be home. I want everything to go back to normal.”

What seems like weeks have passed since Nicky was threatened. The physically demanding training and assessing of his strength, speed, agility, and even tolerance to pain and extreme weather conditions are endless. Nicky is a prisoner, but he reluctantly obliges because the cost is too great if he does not.
“I can’t take any more Xbox and this stupid room, but I can’t risk my parent’s lives. How can I free them? I have to figure out where they are,”
he thinks.

«Nicholas?» Mr. Macken’s voice comes through in Nicky’s mind. «Would you like to meet William and Isabella?»

Nicky is summoned to the Creation Room. He finally gets to meet Isabella and William.

When he walks in, they instantly hug. It is as if they knew each other all of their lives. Nicky finally gets a close up view of their faces, he notices similar features. Nicky thought Isa and Willy might even be twins.

“Call me Nicky.”

“I’m William and this is Isabella, but you can call us Willy and Isa. And no, we are not related.”

“Really? But … Wow, okay … anyway I’m so happy to finally see you upright and not laying on some stupid bed strapped down,” Nicky declares.

“We are too,” Willy responds.

“So, do they have your pare …” Nicky starts saying before Willy interrupts.

“Shhh …” Nicky feels something strange in his mind like someone is trying to telepathically communicate with him.

“Go ahead and let me ‘link’ with your mind,” Willy whispers.

“Okay … I guess, how?”

“Just allow it to be, don’t fight it.”

Nicky suddenly hears Willy’s voice in his head. «We have learned to communicate where only we can hear each other. It’s almost like an encrypted signal, you allow me to ‘link’ with your mind and we can communicate without others listening in.»

«You’re sure?» Nicky asks.

«Yeah, don’t worry it’s kind of like whispering,» Willy explains.

All three hear Mr. Macken’s voice interrupt telepathically. «Nicholas, William, and Isabella, please prepare for more assessments.»

The room changes to a replication of Washington, DC. They are suddenly on a six lane street only miles from the White House. Eerily, there are no cars or people. They are just surrounded by stone store fronts. “We will simulate some attacks. Defend yourselves,” A voice can be heard over a speaker.

A bow and arrow, a war club, and a tomahawk appear.

They all have a different favorite: Nicky the tomahawk, Willy the war club, and Isa the bow and arrow. Four soldiers appear carrying only knives.

“Guess we’ll all take one. Whoever’s fastest gets the last one,” Willy tells Nicky and Isa smiling.

Isabella took off faster than the other two. “They merged her with a horse, so she’s a little faster than we are. But I’ve got these.” Willy smiles showing Nicky what looks like blue, glowing fangs. “Let’s go. I’ll show you how to do that later.”

It was over in seconds. The soldiers disappear after they were neutralized.

“Wow! You guys are good,” Nicky shouts.

“Yeah, we’ve been here longer, but you’ll get as fast as we are at stopping them,” Isa explains.

“You know why they’re testing us?” Nicky asks.

“Yeah, but let’s not talk about it now,” answers Willy.

“Oh no, here comes a tank!” Nicky yells.

“We’ve never simulated this,” Willy remarks and suddenly, BOOM! The explosion shakes the ground. A projectile comes flying through the air from the tank’s main gun. All three can see the projectile as it speeds towards them. They all jump out of the impact area. The explosion destroys several store fronts and creates a large crater in the road.

Nicky, out of anger, instinctively roars taking out buildings directly behind the tank and destroying the tank’s engine. Smoke can be seen rising from the rear of the tank.

“Whoa, you’ll have to teach us that one,” Isa says amazed at Nicky’s unique weapon.

“I thought we all had the same gifts?” Nicky replies. But before Isa could speak again, another round fires from the main gun towards Isa and Nicky, again forcing them to jump out of the way.

«I’m on the tank!» Willy yells. «I see the hatch!» Willy begins to tear at the hinge extending what looks like blue glowing claws, sinking them into the tank’s hatch. With one howl, he rips it open. The tank driver disappears with one quick strike.

“Phew, man that was scary,” Nicky says.

“Yeah those explosions felt real to me,” Isa exclaims startled.

“Do you think we can get hurt? I thought these were all simulations,” Nicky asks.

“I don’t know. I think they want us alive. But Mr. Macken is crazy,” Isa smiles.

Willy suddenly runs to them, “Man that was scary.”

“Hey, I just said that,” Nicky says.

Nicky and Isa laugh. “You’ve got to show me that claw trick,” Nicky tells Willy.

“Only if you show me that roaring trick of yours,” Willy replies.

“Hey, wait a minute, guys,” Isa interrupts. “Do you hear that? Something really big is coming.”

“Soldiers are coming, we need to link now,” says Willy. «Okay guys, adapt.»

«Wait! What do you mean?» Nicky asks.

«Oh no! He hasn’t learned that ability yet,» Isa tells Willy.

«The rumble is getting closer!» Willy yells.

«Okay, Nicky, look behind you. What do you see?» Isa asks.

«A wall. Why?» Nicky replies.

«Now imagine your skin looking like that wall. Do it now!» Isa yells.

«Okay, I’m trying, but … wait … I’m … I’m changing but how?» Nicky exclaims.

«No time … now, put your back to the wall,» Isa instructs Nicky.

«I’m almost … invisible,» Nicky says.

«Well it’s not perfect, but hopefully they won’t notice,» Isa tells Willy.

«They’re here! There’s thousands of them,» Willy says peeking around a wall. «It’s a military brigade!»

Nicky and Isa also take a look around the wall, staring down New York Avenue, a wide four lane road. Thousands of infantry soldiers and four tanks advance towards them. Two tanks are in front and two are behind the brigade.

«How do we stop this?» Nicky asks.

«I don’t know,» Willy replies.

«Wait. Nicky, your roar, can you take down a large building?»

«I don’t know … maybe, why?» Nicky asks.

«If you could collapse large buildings on them, we have a shot, and downtown is our only option. If my plan doesn’t work, we’ll have to face an entire brigade. We have to get downtown, let’s go … remember Nicky, concentrate on your surroundings to adapt to them,» Willy says.

«Okay, I’ll try,» Nicky replies.

They move carefully along the walls so they are not spotted. Nicky is not as proficient yet at adapting his body. And at times he is not adapting to his surroundings correctly. Intermittently he changes back to his real body; he resembles a flickering TV.

Ever the curious one, Nicky just has to ask a question as they move covertly towards the downtown area.

«How am I changing the way my clothes look? I understand our skin, but how’s this possible?» Nicky asks.

«We can affect not just are own bodies, but any matter we touch. Right now we can only change small objects, but who knows, maybe in time we can change larger objects,» Isa tells Nicky as they move down the streets.

«Amazing!»

«Okay guys, we’ll talk more about it later. You have to focus on adapting Nicky,» Willy interrupts.

After a few minutes, they are finally in position downtown. They are just outside one of the tallest buildings in the downtown area, about a mile ahead of the brigade.

“I don’t know if I can do this,” Nicky says, suddenly feeling apprehensive.

«We believe in you. You’re our brother now. And we’ll help you anyway we can,» Isa reassures Nicky.

«I remember watching a demolition special on the Discovery Channel. If we could damage some of the support beams facing the street, it will be much easier for you to topple the buildings on them. I say we take these three buildings.» Willy points towards the three tallest buildings next to each other.

Nicky and Isa agree.

«We’ll have to time it perfectly. Luckily, we don’t need radios,» Isa smiles.

«Awesome. Let’s do this,» Nicky says.

All three get into position.

The troops slowly push north; they’re marching in between the four tanks. Willy and Isa wait inside the first southernmost of the three tall buildings they plan on toppling. Nicky is just outside the same building peeking around the corner, waiting to give the signal.

«They’re almost in position. Okay … ready on three. One, two, three go!» Nicky yells.

Willy and Isa start running through the inside of the empty building, destroying the support columns as they run through them. Finally, they simultaneously crash through the outer wall.

«Now!» Isa yells.

A growl more powerful than Nicky has never done before, erupts from his gut. It’s so loud that it shakes the ground, and so powerful that the first large building topples over in seconds; hundreds of replicated troops disappear. Quickly, they do the same to the last two large buildings until none of the soldiers are left.

“We did it!” Nicky yells. They are overjoyed.

“I can’t believe it! We did it! That was amazing!” Willy screams!

The three new friends hug. The Creation Room goes back to white and telepathically they hear Mr. Macken, «I believe you three are finally ready.» Nicky just stands, perplexed by this statement.