literature

The Ancients

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The Ancients

I burst through the grove of trees, breathless and shaking. Ignoring my burning legs, I kept running, and running. I never wanted to stop running. An ominous white light lit up the black sky, blinding me momentarily. I wandered about for a few seconds, unsure what to do. I realized what was happening, and immediately tensed and prepared to run again. Just before I could take a step, two cold, sinister hands grabbed my shoulders, pulling me down. I landed on my back, looking straight into a pair of icy green eyes.

My name is Valerie Nightingale. And this is the story of how my life changed. Anyway, let’s start at the beginning. It was a normal day, July 12th, 3016. The third world war had just ended, the Republic of Madagascar now united with the Antarctic Forest Colonies. The world was at peace...at least that’s what we thought. I had woken up uncomfortably early, holding my black coffee, staring at the sunrise in northern Manhattan. The black sky erupted with color, purples and reds, all huddled around the yellow sun, glowing bright and gaily. I sighed, wishing that my family could have seen such a beautiful sight. But they would see one later, since they are on the west coast of California, now its own continent. I heard some rustling in the room to the right of mine. My roommate, Leonard, appeared from the automatic doors, yawning and rubbing his deep brown eyes. He awkwardly put on his glasses and shuffled into the living room.
“Good Morning,” he said, pouring himself a fresh cup of coffee. He walked over to where I was on the balcony, watching the sunrise with me.
“Beautiful isn’t it?” I asked, not taking my eyes away from the staggering beauty of the sun.
“Yes…” he replied. “What’s wrong, Val?”
“Nothing,” I lied. “I just...wish my family were here.”
“Don't worry, you’ll see them for Christmas,” He said, putting a reassuring arm over my shoulder. I leaned into him, closing my eyes.
“What would you like for breakfast?” I asked, trying not to put myself in an inappropriate position with Leonard. I’ve had feelings for him for a while, but I can’t let it get in the way of my work. He followed me as I walked into the kitchen, opening the stasis chamber, contained by a thin layer of plasma, to optimize freshness.
“Anything’s fine,” he said, sitting down at the table, activating the table-projector, which displayed the weather and news. He watched what was happening in the world in the blink of an eye, thanks to the compact information displayed.
After we had a breakfast of Malaysian noodles with egg and chicken, got dressed and got into my hover-car, we were on our way. Billboards whizzed by on the 200 mph freeway, advertizing new weight loss pills and personal androids for housecare. As we pulled up at the lab where we worked, I opened my purse, making sure I hadn’t forgotten anything. When I checked my glass phone, I had 5 new messages left for me. I checked them as we got out of the car and walked into the marble science institute. Apparently, my research partner had found something strange in bacteria found in an Egyptian tomb. I put it away, heading for the check in counter. I took my plastic card and stuck it in the scanner. When it had beeped, I placed my thumb on the scanner until it turned green. I took out my card and placed it in my slot.
“I’ll see you after work,” Leonard said after he had done the same. We went in opposite directions. I got in the glass elevator, going to the 150th floor, where my microbiology lab was located. I was greeted by my assistants and research partner, a middle-aged man, quite frail, but a genius all the same. He was hunched over an electron microscope, intensely concentrated on his subject under the lense.
“So, what’s so important?” I asked, hoping it wasn't’ another wild goose chase, which gave me twelve new scars, some titanium bones and a head full of bad memories.
“You’re not gonna believe this, kid,” he said, gesturing for me to take a look. I gave him a puzzled look and looked through the microscope. There were several unmoving bacteria, which seemed to be in odd shapes. They were spirals, reminding me of some ancient equation that makes a perfect spiral. Actually, it was an exact spiral. Right down to every atom, it was a perfect spiral. I furrowed my brows, zooming in on the DNA of the specimens. I froze, not believing my eyes. I staggered backwards, suddenly feverish and trembling. I sat down heavily on a chair, pressing my face in my palm, breathing rapidly and shallowly.
“How can it be?” I asked, not knowing if what I saw was real or just my mind playing tricks on me. “H-how...the hell is that possible?!” I asked loudly, pointing at the blasted microscope.
“I don’t know, but I know it’s real,” he replied, approaching me, his hands folded quaintly behind his hunched back. “Have you figured it out?”
“Yes,” I gulped. “They’re longitude and latitude. The coordinates of the south pole. The exact magnetic coordinates. To the inch.” I pulled my curly brown hair back in a ponytail, so I could focus. “Where were these microbes found?”
“In the sarcophagus of a nameless Egyptian Pharaoh,” He answered, handing me pictures of the tomb. It was strange that he took photos using an old camera, which made paper copies. “If you were wondering, I printed them out because digital files can be hacked and stolen. But, by using old techniques, I can safely store it,” he said, almost as if he could read my thoughts. His bright green eyes looked worried, but thrilled. This concerned me slightly, but I shrugged it off.
“If you don’t mind, I would like to take these photos and the microbes for research,” I said nervously, confused why he was happy.
“Of course. I’m sure you will find the answer,” he said as I took the files and started to walk out of the room. “That’s why I chose you,” he said quietly. My eyes widened, but I kept walking. I can still imagine his wicked smile.
I took out my phone and started running out the giant building. I dialed Leonard’s number.
“Leonard!” I said.
“Leonard James KeLim’s off-”
“For God’s sake, put him on the damn phone!”
“Yes?” he finally answered.
“Leonard, you have to get out of the lab!”
“What’s going on?!”
“Just get out of there! You’re in danger!”
“I’ll meet you back at the apartment!”
I slid the phone closed as I got on a bus, sitting down heavily, breathing hard. Several of the other passengers gave me some strange looks, and backed away from me. When I got to the apartment, I ran for the door, hearing a large hovertruck behind me. I opened it, locking it once I was across the threshold, running up the stairs and into my room. I grabbed my plasma rifle, backing into a corner, cocking the weapon, aiming it at my door. I heard heavy footsteps that grew closer and closer, then stopped outside my door. I heard several buttons being pushed, and the door flew open. I fired several shots, and all of them missed. The figure ducked and ran towards me. It tackled me, ripping the rifle from my hand.
“Val, what are you doing?!” Leonard asked. I gasped with relief and broke down crying, so happy that I hadn’t hurt him. After apologizing and telling him what happened, he took a look at the microbes.
“My God,” he stammered, staggering back from the samples.
“We need to go to Antarctica,” I said strongly. “and find out what’s going on.
“But-but,” he protested. “What if there’s something dangerous down there?”
“Look,” I said, sitting down with him at the table. “I know this isn't’ your favorite thing to do, but we have to do this, or no-one else will.”
“I don't want to see you get hurt,” he confessed. it seemed as if all the blood in my body rushed to my face, throbbing under my skin. “The last thing I need is a dead friend.”
“We’d better start packing,” I said, pulling away. I don’t know if it was the adrenaline or my mind, but I almost heard him sigh sadly.
As we made our way in my car to the airport, I noticed the black hovertruck I saw before I had gotten home in my hysterical frenzy. I slowly increased our speed, now traveling down the highway at 225 miles an hour. The black truck increased its speed as well, now right on our heels.
“Hold on,” I told Leonard. “We’re taking a detour.”
I jerked the steering wheel violently, jerking the car onto the off-ramp, still going at full speed. Before we were going to make the turn into the most direct route to the airport, I put my foot down, resulting in a surprised yelp from Leonard.
“What are you doing?!” he exclaimed. I couldn’t respond, mostly because I was weaving in and out of incoming traffic faster than light. I heard the sound of crunching metal and breaking glass from behind me, and I whipped my head around, watching as car after car piled up, blocking the road perfectly. Just as I cracked a smile, the truck burst through, throwing cars every which way. My smile faded as I turned back to the wheel.
“Val, turn the car around!”
I sharply turned the wheel, braking hard. We ended up skidding to a stop, facing the oncoming truck. I then noticed a human form on the hood, standing up against the air resistance. It was my research partner, Doctor Forrester. He looked like a demonic hood ornament, reaching out, his green eyes glowing in an otherworldly manner. Not breaking eye contact with him, I slowly reached toward the gear changer, slowly sliding the lever into reverse. I hit the gas just before we were to collide, pinning my car to the front of the trucks, throwing Dr. Forrester
onto my hood.
“Come to me, pitiful human!” Forrester yelled, seeming to have an infinite number of voices. He scratched the windshield, not realizing what was about to happen. Standing, he looked up, screaming before the bridge we were approaching hit him with a crunch, sending him and the giant truck reeling backwards, setting my car free. I turned the car around until we were facing the right direction, slowing down to the speed limit, heading towards the airport once again. I knew then, that nothing could stop us now. At the moment, it seemed true.
After picking up our tickets and going through security, we waited for our supersonic plane to start boarding. As we waited, trying to act casual, we noticed that the glass monitors were showing footage of the pile up, and Forrester’s death. The news anchors were saying how a solar flare coincided with his death perfectly, and made up some ideas why, which were all false. I had figured it out by now. It was obvious, really. He was from another world.
“Flight 258, now boarding,” a friendly voice said over the PA system.
“That’s us,” I said, standing as I grabbed my suitcase full of supplies. Leonard followed me shortly after. As we stood in line to hand in our tickets, I saw multiple shadowy figures out of the corner of my eye. I ignored it and handed in my ticket.
The ride to Antarctica was fortunately uneventful, the peak action being Leonard almost vomiting due to some turbulence. As we touched down, I thought we were out of the reach of whatever Forrester was. I sighed, glad we were on solid ground.
After we exited the plane, we checked out a hovertruck, loaded up our supplies, and made our way to the south pole. We drove through moist rainforests and luscious meadows, finally arriving where we had set out to. Stopping the truck, my heart began to pound loudly in my ears. Stepping out, I stared at a green ray of light protruding from what I assume was the south pole. I couldn't help but approach it, in awe of this phenomenon. Suddenly, a demonic face appeared in the shafts of light, seeming to scream like some sort of insane animal. The scream grew in strength, growing louder and louder.
I fell to my knees, trying to cover my ears, but to no avail. The scream was in my head, bouncing around my skull, playing with my mind and sanity. I screamed, almost mimicking the terrible sound. Then, everything went black.
When I awoke, my head was throbbing, and the metal-covered walls in a room were spinning. My vision eventually cleared, revealing, Leonard’s crumpled and unconscious body beside me.
“Leonard?” I rasped, looking around the empty room. There were neither windows nor doors, just a desolate cage. I stood up, seeing if I could find a way out. After shuffling around for a bit, I sat down, exasperated. I heard a whooshing sound behind me, and a gust of cold air. I turned around to see an empty doorway, only darkness on the other side. Footsteps echoes in the shadows, growing nearer and nearer. A man came through, wearing a silver uniform. He had bleach blonde hair, cut in a military-like shape, his green eyes steely and cold.
“Who are you?” I demanded.
“I am Lieutenant Klaflan, chief of security,” he replied.
“Am I supposed to be impressed?!” I chortled. “Where am I, and how did I get here?”
“If you will follow me, you will find the answers you seek.”
I narrowed my eyes, following him as he stepped through the door. Instead of ending up on the other side, I was facing the opposite direction, walking away from the door. I tried again, but I received the same result.
“Sorry about that,” Klaflan said. “I forgot to turn off the Turn System.”
He pressed a few buttons on his belt, and walked through the doorway once again. I followed, hesitating before stepping through the threshold. Suddenly, it seemed as if I was on another planet. I was surrounded by blinking consoles and bustling people. Eerie bolts of electricity jumped from wall to wall in a neverending dance of hazardous lightning. Though the crowd of officers, a lone commander stood, watching over all of his troops. The chaotic din settled, and dozens of pairs of eyes stared at me, all green and glowing. I tried not to look at them all, silent and haunting.
“Welcome, Valerie, to a new world,” the commander said, his voice deep and wise.
“I’m sorry...how do you know who I am?” I asked, puzzled by what was going on.
“We have been watching you for some time now,” he said. He had jet-black hair, pulled back in a ponytail, his tanned complexion and sharp cheekbones giving him a dramatic tone. “I’m Commander Von Jaun, and this is my ship, and your last hope.”
“What do you mean?”
“We have been monitoring Earth’s history for the last two thousand years,” he said, walking towards a viewport, revealing the Earth below. I followed him. “We have extrapolated that if Earth’s history keeps continuing the way it is, you home and people will surely die. There has been a cycle in your governments. First, chaos, then order, and corruption follows. Then revolution, and then chaos again. Improvements in technology will ensure that you will all perish in fire and blood. In that cycle, destruction is present.”
“Well if you people are so damn smart, then why don’t you leave us the hell alone?!”
“Our species has evolved to be the..well, like policemen, making sure our galaxy is free of chaos and pain. And that’s why we are going to kill you.”
“WHAT?!” I yelled, shocked he would think that his skewed idea of justice is correct. “Who gave you the right to interfere with our lives?! Who gave you the right to watch us grow, and then decide to kill us because we’re not perfect?! Well, you would know, you’re Mr. Perfect, right?!”
He sighed heavily, grabbing my arm, pulling back to that metal room.
“I didn’t want to have to do this,” he said. “But we have to.” He shoved me into the room, pressing a button on his belt. “You and your friend will be transported to Terra 2, where you will repopulate and build a new human race.”
“You can’t do this!” I yelled, trying to tackle him, but ended up in the opposite direction, away from him. “I bet the US is gonna whip your sorry as-”
“Activate the hormones,” he said to someone to his right.
“What?! What hormones?!” Suddenly, the room was filled with a red light, my skin tingling, feeling hot and cold at the same time. I gasped, falling to the floor, not knowing what I was feeling. My heart began to pound, and I looked toward Leonard subconsciously. He started to twitch, opening his eyes, looking confused. He sat up, and our eyes locked. I could hear his rapid breathing, along with my loud heartbeat. I couldn’t help but consider slamming my lips onto his, giving in to what the commander wanted.
“Valerie,” he whispered, looking unsure. “Is it just me...or is it hot in here?”
I whipped my head to look at the commander, but all I saw was the steel wall. I stood, staring at the impossible sight. The right light slowly faded, but my strange emotions didn’t.
“Where are we?” Leonard asked, now standing very close to me.
“We’re in orbit around Earth, and we have been captured by hostile forces who want us to repopulate and make a new human race,” I said, not looking at him. I tried to swallow, but my throat was dry.
“You’re so beautiful,” Leonard said, stroking my curly hair softly.
“Don’t,” I said. “Don’t...don’t do that…” He backed away, suddenly interested in his shoes. “It’s just...we can’t do this. We need to get out of here.”
“I understand,” he mumbled. Turning back to me, he looked up, his eyes narrowing. I also raised my gaze, seeing our way out of here. There was a small crack in the metal ceiling. I smiled, a shining hope burning through the gray world we were trapped in. I reached to the crack, which widened as my hand approached it, revealing the black mass I had seen before. Instead of my hand going the other way, it passed through cleanly. I felt something tug on me.
“Leonard,” I said, smiling widely. “I found our way out.” I blinked, letting myself be sucked into the abyss. I fell onto solid ground, my head spinning. I heard Leonard fall shortly thereafter. I stood, looking around. We were back on Earth, in the forests of Antarctica. I sighed with relief, but we weren’t out of the woods yet.
“Come on, I can see the truck!” Leonard said, running off into the now dark forest. I followed, hearing snapping branches and heavy footsteps behind me. I ran faster, ending up separated from Leonard. Alright, now that you’re all caught up, let’s talk about what happened next, shall we?
Momentarily frozen, I stared into the pair of eerie green eyes, and spat in them, rolling away from their grip. It was one of the soldiers, ready to fight.
He charged, running towards me. I kicked him in the shin, and he collapsed to the ground. I pinned his arms behind his back, twisting them, resulting in screams of pain. He tried to reach for a weapon, but I twisted his arm further. Without a sound, he disappeared. I felt him grab my neck from behind, choking me.
“Leonard!” I screamed. “Help!”
“No-one will hear you die,” the soldier said bitterly. I ducked, punching the back of his neck as I rolled under him. i ran back through the trees, branches and leaves whipping my face and arms as I desperately ran for cover. I turned my head, seeing the soldier pursuing me. I saw two headlights, and I ran towards them.
“Leonard!” I screamed. I was so relieved to see the truck, and Leonard in the driver’s seat. He was holding the plasma rifle I had brought, aiming it at the soldier’s head. I got in the truck, waiting for the soldier. He jumped out of the forest, shielding his eyes from the headlights. Leonard pulled the trigger, and the alien dropped.
White lights in the sky appeared, and the commander’s voice echoed across the trees.
“Humans, you were a worthy opponent, but our numbers dwindle here, and we will return soon.”
“Not on my life!” I screamed, furious with such ignorant beings.
“That can be arranged.” My eyes widened. A cannon of some sort came out of the ship, aiming towards me. I closed my eyes, expecting certain death. I heard the cocking of a gun, but no shot. I opened my eyes, seeing Leonard between me and the cannon, rifle in hand.
“If you think you can kill the woman I love and get away with it, you idiots got another thing coming!” he yelled before pulling the trigger. The bolt of plasma shot through the air, right down the cannon, and blew up all the ships. We ducked behind the truck, shielding ourselves from the shrapnel. When the smoke cleared, there was no sign there had ever been ships in the sky.
Well, as for Leonard and I, some tears were shed that night. Feel free to make up your own theories. I’m not gona tell you what happened later that night. Now, the spies of the aliens are still around, watching and waiting. Don’t approach them. Just let them pout for eternity. They will roam our world for millions of years, and always will be...the Ancients.


So...this is a short story I wrote for my English class...our theme was sci-fi. So...yeah. Feedback is welcomed.

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©2013 *SherlockSoka

© 2013 - 2024 Chrisily
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lordhadrian's avatar
Excellent piece.  Well done :)