Chapter Twelve

The Finished Experiment

 

 

Gasping from shock, Jessica ran outside. She looked up into the sky trying to see what could have happened. The rain was relentless, pouring down her face, mixing with her tears. "William" she screamed into the uncaring sky. Her only reply was the rumble of thunder. She stood in the pouring rain trying to comprehend what happened but her mind kept rejecting what she witnessed. She knew shouldn't be possible but William was gone and it was her fault.

As she stumbled into the house, she repeating that thought "my fault, my fault if I hadn't told him to go to that party, he wouldn't have been outside when this happened. It's my fault, my fault." Her mind chanted this over and over needing someone, something to blame. She stood dripping in the middle of the kitchen, shaking from shock and cold. She slowly crumpled to the floor and huddled into a ball, weeping until she fell asleep from exhaustion.

She awoke to the cries of Robert and the unhappy screams of Sydney carried to her through the baby monitor on the kitchen counter. She slowly picked herself up realizing that William hadn't come home. If he had he would have picked her up and brought her to their bed. With an aching heart she went to the children. Taking Sydney from her crib and setting her on the floor with a bottle to calm her. The she hurried in to Robert who had been crying for a while. "Hey little man, mama's here" she said soothingly trying to calm his frightened screams. He peered up at her with a questioning, confused look as neither of his parents had ever left him to cry for so long.

"Mama where's Daddy?"

"Someone was sick at the resturant so Daddy went in to work" Jessica told her, hating the lie but couldn't tell her the truth that Daddy was gone, taken. She was too young to understand and Jessica didn't want her to worry. As the day slowly turned to evening and still no Daddy, Sydney became pensive and whiney constantly asking "When is Daddy coming home? I want Daddy!" refusing to be consoled, Sydney finally cried herself to sleep.

Jessica hated seeing the lost, heart breaking confused sadness in Sydney's eyes. What would she do tomorrow when William wasn't here? How could she tell Sydney that Daddy wasn't coming back? That some evil aliens came and took her Daddy away and it was her mama's fault? Once again her thoughts haunted her. As she crawled into bed and fell to sleep to the on going chant "my fault, my fault, my fault, my fault, my fault"

Meanwhile William awoke strapped down to what felt like an examination table. He had an uncomfortable feeling that he had been here before and he was about to relive his worst nightmare. He tried to free himself but the restraining strap were too strong, too tight resisting his attempts.

He tried to calm himself but his heart was racing and pounding in his ears. He strained his eyes but he was unable to see anything, nothing but a black void. He wondered if he had gone blind it was so completely devoid of light. The only sould he heard was from his own struggles. He felt so alone and his thoughts drifted to his family. He saw Jessica's face that he so loved and adored, then Sydney with her mother's eyes and then little Robert so content and happy. Would he ever see them again, he wondered.

He laid in the dark for what felt like hours, when suddenly there was a flash of light above him. It was on for a less than a second before it went off. Then it was on again, flashing on and off faster and brighter each time. It flashed so bright and so fast it hurt, William squeezed his eyes shut as tight as he could attempting to block the light out but nothing worked.

Just as suddenly as it began it stopped but the light stayed on. William tried to open his eyes but the light was too bright and made his eyes water so much he couldn't see. Then it began a pulsating heat wave that would flow over his body. At first it felt good to be finally warm after laying in the cold dark but it soon became extremely uncomfortable. The heat kept building in intensity until he felt like he was being roasted alive. The silent room became filled with his screams for mercy but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

Finally William passed out and no longer aware of his surroundings, when two aliens came into the room.

First alien technician: The specimen endured the tests so far adequately.

Second alien technician: Yes it was ... adequate. But his scores are not high enough to continue.

First alien technician: No he is not a canidate for the next phase of the tests.

Second alien technician: Humans are to frail to withstand the hardships they would encounter would not make useful soldier drones.

First alien technician: High Command should have listened us regarding humans. They are frail and we have better specimens from other planets that make excellent drones.

Second alien technician: The experiment is not complete and we will no doubt be ordered to obtain more specimens to test modifications to their physiology to see if their usefulness can be improved. But this subject was destined for a ...

First alien technician: But that experiment has been discontinued We can't continue it or we'd be ...

Second alien technician: Yes, yes we'd lose our scientific credibility. But I know it would work.

First alien technician: It has failed in all other species; which is why it was discontinued in favor of making drones.

Seething with anger alien two turned towards the computer console behind him and said "I'm terminating this experiment and going forward with the original." Alien one turned to intervene and they both struggled for a while.

First alien technician: You can't, you'll be throwing away your career.

Second alien technician: I'll be throwing away nothing. Don't you see that if this works we'll be saving our people from extinction.

First alien technician: That's why we are making drones.

Second alien technician: Yes so that our people won't continue to die in a useless war that should have ended a millinia ago. Can't you see beyond that? To why the original experiment is so important.

First alien technician: But it failed. Can't you understand that we failed?

Second alien technician: No this one will succeed. This one will prove I'm right. This specimen had all the improvements. I won't throw all that work away. Not when it means life for our people.

First alien technician: That's why we need the drones, to save lives.

Second alien technician: No. Our race is dying. When was the last time you saw a female child? When was the last one born? When we discovered how to slow down the aging process it was only successful on males. The females continue to age at the normal rate and fewer and fewer females are born. We can't reverse the process, at least not in time before we are extinct. The women are dying and growing too old to have more chidren. If we don't figure out how to grow the female reproductive organs and have them work properly we will become extinct and everything we have accomplished will be for nothing.

First alien technician: Yes I comply.

Second alien technician: Good. Download DNA 1AG2390U and prepare the speciment for fertilization.

Another day went by and still no William. Sydney was sullen all day, refusing to be pacified and took to talking to her ugly doll for comfort. Thankfully Robert was too young to realize that William wasn't there. Jessica did the best she could to carry on as normal. Knowing that soon she would have to tell Sydney the truth and she would have to file a missing persons report. That night after putting her babies to bed, she laid awake in her room, softly crying hearing the words in her head "my fault, my fault" once again. Through her thoughts she heard something, a shrill loud engine. Getting up she hurried to the window just in time to see an alien appear with William in the front yard.

 

Her excitement at seeing William overrode caution as she rushed outside. The alien seeing her coming ran off and disappeared. Jessica stopped short, in front of William when she noticed he was vacantly staring. She was sure he didn't see anything around him. She become even more concerned as he aimlessly walked in circles until he stumbled to his knees and violently threw up. She went to him, helping him gently to his feet and guided him to their bedroom.

Jessica helped him undress for bed. Biting her lip to keep from crying out as she saw how badly he was burned and the deep gauges in his wrists and ankles that looked like he had been tightly bound. She gently cleaned and bandaged the wounds and gently kissed his cheek all the while William stared blankly ahead. She put him to bed before crawling in the other side to fall into a light, uneasy sleep.

She was jolted awake by Williams screams as he flashed back onto a memory of being tormented. Jessica held him to her tightly comforting him until he quieted down, telling him he was safe and he was home. For the rest of the night she sat up worrying about what William must have endured and wondered if she could help him.

 

The next morning Jessica got up to care for the kids, hoping William would continue to sleep. He looked as if he needed a good nights sleep and a good meal. However Sydney had other ideas. She was on a mission to find her Daddy. She searched everywhere she could think of then she decided to check out her parents room. When she saw her Daddy asleep in bed, she squealed in delight and walked over to his side of the bed and asked "Daddy where you go? I missed you!"

William woke up and looked at this daughter in confusion. What does she mean, I missed you? I didn't go anywhere, did I? Getting up and walking into the kitchen he asked Jessica "What does Sydney mean by missing me?"

Jessica stopped what she was doing and asked him "Don't you remember?"

"Remember what?" starting to panic William thought the last thing he remembered was getting out of the car and running to the house and then nothingness. "What day is it?" he demanded.

"Sunday"

"Sunday? It can't be Sunday!" How could I forget two whole days, William asked himself. He looked at Jessica for answers and then down at his wrists that bandaged. Lifting very large frightened eyes to Jessica he asked "What happened to me? Why can't I remember?"

"William I think we should go and see a doctor."

"But, but I don't like doctors." William said flashing back to being in a room strapped to an examining table. "No I won't go."

"William please, they can help you. I'll go with you." Jessica pleaded with him.

"No I said no, please don't make me" William said has his yes darted anywhere and everywhere as if looking for a way to escape.

"Ok, ok not today. Calm down." Jessica said soothingly gently touching his shoulder she quietly said "We'll get through this together."

 

About four months have passed since William came home and he still has no memory of what happened. No matter how many times Jessica has tried to get him to talk he always refuses. The nightmares have increased and getting worse. Almost every night he is awakened in a cold sweat. He tries not to disturb Jessica as he gets up but he knows she's awake fearing his reaction if she asks him if he's alright. Her concerned and worried looks she gives him often make him feel like a specimen under a magnifying glass. He doesn't understand what's happening to him.

This time as he was once again awakened in the middle of the night, Jessica got up with him.

"William I'm concerned for you. You need to see a doctor. Ignoring the problem doesn't mean there isn't one."

"I don't want to see a doctor." William practically screamed at her becoming instantly angered at the suggestion.

"I don't understand why. William help me understand. I can't help you unless you talk to me." she pleaded with him hoping for a glimmer that she was getting through to him.

"I, I don't know why. I just don't want to be a guinea pig."

"You won't be William. They can help you. Maybe they'll know why you've gained so much weight. It's not healthy to have gained so much weight in such a short amount of time."

"I know but" hesitating to voice his biggest fear of seeing a doctor. He turned away from Jessica as he said "I don't want to be on an examining table. I'll go but I won't get on one."

Jessica made the appointment for the same afternoon, knowing that William might refuse to go if it wasn't the same day. As they entered the doctors office William gripped Jessica's hand as he said "Jess promise me you won't let them strap me down to the examining table."

"But William they wouldn't do that" she tried to say but William just pleaded with her "Please just promise me, you let them."

"Ok, ok I promise" Jessica said giving him a hug of reassurance.

The Doctor who was examining William was willing to do so while William sat in one of the office chairs. The doctor then suggested that William be hypnotized to see if they could bring up the memories of those two missing days. William agreed as long as Jessica was there the entire time.

Under hypnosis William recalled the trauma and torture he endured while on the alien ship. Jessica's heart was breaking for the pain that William endured but now she at least understood his anxiety and fear of seeing a doctor and the promise he made her keep.

When it was over the doctor left the room while he went to consult and read some test results. While they waited for the doctor to return they held each other tightly. Now William knew what happened and he vaguely wondered if maybe he would have been better off not knowing. Jessica kept saying that they would get through this and that everything was going to be alright.

The doctor came back into the room. "Well Mr. Bennett, you are suffering from PAASD, Post Alien Abduction Stress Disorder. At this time we cannot prescribe drugs to help you deal with the anxiety as we feel the drug might harm the fetus."

"Uh fetus, I don't understand" William said in confusion.

"Well it seems from the tests we took that the aliens not only tortured you but performed some unorthodox experiments on you that resulted in you becoming pregnant. That is the main reason why you've been gaining weight. Which is why we don't want to start a drug regimen until after the baby is born. Now we do want to start you prenatal vitamins and set appointments to check on the fetus, unless you don't intend on keeping the fetus."

"We need some time to discuss this."

 

William and Jessica left the doctor's office feeling overwhelmed with what they just found out. A baby. An alien baby. William is pregnant. Could things get anymore complicated? They both knew that no matter how this child came into existence they couldn't terminate it.
 
Five months later William gave birth to a baby girl, he named Evelyn. He chose to name his daughter after his mother to give her a sense of belonging to the family. He knew looking different from her siblings might cause hurt feelings somewhere along the line and he wanted her to have that link to family.

 

"Hey pumpkin, how's daddy's little girl?" William cooed to Evelyn when he went in to check on her. She calmly looked up at him and he was glad that he didn't experience any form of revulsion upon looking at her. That was his biggest fear all the months he was pregnant. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to bond to her because of his experience with the aliens that caused her to exist.



 

Jessica was thankful that now that the baby was born, William was able to start his prescription for PAASD and he was more like himself now. She still worried that the aliens would come back but she tried not to let that concern become her obsession.

 

She helped William take care of Evelyn letting William get some rest. She rather enjoyed being able to experience the other side of pregnancy and she knew that William had a new perception of her and being pregnant. She hoped that William would be open to the idea of more babies. But right now three little ones was more than enough. 

She was a little concerned that she wouldn't be able to love Evelyn as much as she did her other babies. But thankfully she found that she could, after all she was a part of William and she loved him with all her heart.