Generation 2, Chapter 9 Part 2

"We do not need you. You have accomplished your purpose." A voice behind her said. Cautiously Evelyn turned towards the first alien she had ever seen other than her own reflection in the mirror.

"What purpose have I accomplished?"

"You exist."

"Why?" Evelyn asked "I don't understand."

"We had to try and because we tried you exist. Now we know we can. Our work continues." The alien cryptically explained.

"If I accomplished my purpose simply by existing, why do you need to continue to torment my family? Where's my brother? What have you done to him?"

"Your brother is an excellent specimen, young and healthy. With some modifications we will be able to continue the experiment."

"You can't just take people against their will and experiment on them. They're not lab rats, they're people, my family."

"Remarkable! You have acquired the same sentimentality as your progenitor. Completely useless rubbish to be concerned with the welfare of inferior beings. The survival of our people is paramount. You exist and so shall we now we know it can be done."

"It's not right! What kind of creatures are you that you have no concept of how wrong this is?"

"We are superior. That is what we are and that gives us the right. You are alive because of us."

Despite the fear tingling up her spine Evelyn declared "I am my father's daughter. I will not be like you."

"Be that as it may we have come to offer you an opportunity to live with your people, superior to these puny creatures."

"To be what? A mindless, soulless robot performing experiments on defenseless people. No I won't turn my back on my family."

"We assumed as much. These creatures are excellent lab rats but it would take to much effort to root out this defect of sentiments and feelings. It provides no useful purpose for our kind. But for you, we would make an exception. You would give our people hope that we will survive. Come little one, live and learn from us and soon you will lose all interest in these puny creatures."

"Never. I am with my kind They are my family. I will teach my children that sentiment is not weakness."

"If that is your wish then we will abide by it. You are unique and give our people reason to continue our work. We will survive and exist." The beam of light came and the alien vanished.

Evelyn crumpled to the ground, grieving for her brother who was in the hands of these uncaring soulless creatures. She had her answers and it was worse than she had ever imagined. She was simply a tool for them to use to convince their people to continue their experiments. Her existence was the reason her brother was taken and why her father continues to be in fear of being taken. How will she be able to live with this knowledge? Will she ever see Robert again? Will he be the same person or be forever altered from his experience?

Evelyn stared up into the sky watching, hoping her brother would return. As the sky slowly brightened and night turned to day Evelyn sighed knowing her brother wasn't coming back today.  

"Evie what are you doing out here? It's time for school."

Evelyn continued to stare into the sky oblivious to her mothers presence.

"Honey is something wrong?" Jessica asked growing concerned at Evelyn's blank stare. Fear gripped her as she realized what might have happened, why Evelyn was staring into the sky. Running into the house to find her boys, she saw Casey heading to take a shower and Michael was playing on the computer. Robert? Where is Robert? 'Oh my sweet boy, this can't be happening!' Running outside Jessica grabbed Evelyn by the shoulders screaming "Where is Robert? Why did you let them take him?"

"I didn't ... I tried to stop them." Evelyn said frightened from the look her mother was giving her as Jessica continued to shake her.

"No, no you knew. You're one of them. You lured him out here so they could take him."

"Mom, mom please I wouldn't. I tried to help him, to stop them. Mom please I ...."

"Don't you call me that. I'm not your mother! I thought I could, I raised you and all this time you were helping them. I want my son, bring him back or I'll_"

"Jessica that's enough!" Startled Jessica dropped her hands from around Evelyn's shoulders. Evelyn ran to her Father, throwing her arms around him sobbing.

"I'm so glad your home!" Evelyn sobbed "How did you know?"

"I had a feeling something was wrong. I knew I had to get home, my family needed me." William held Evelyn tight as she continued to cry. He glanced up at Jessica who was glaring at him. He resisted the urge to let her have it after over hearing what she had said to Evelyn. He tried to tell himself she was just upset but it still didn't excuse her behavior. Lifting Evelyn's chin he asked "Are you alright?"

Evelyn nodded searching her Father's face she asked "Do you hate me too?"

"Oh Evie no. I could never hate you." He drew her close to him and hugged her tight. 

 

"You don't think I'll be like them, do you?"

"No sweetheart no. Just asking that question shows your not." William reassured her, gently kissing the top of her head.

"You don't blame me for not being able to stop them from taking Robert?" Evelyn asked pulling away from him as she asked.

"Oh honey no of course I don't blame you. Evie there was nothing you could do, there was nothing any of us could do. Don't blame yourself it wasn't your fault."

"Ok but mmm..." Evelyn vaguely waved her hand towards Jessica stumbling over calling her mom as she had always done but now found difficult. "She said I helped the aliens take Robert. I didn't did I? Did they come because of me? I only ever wanted to know why? Did I cause this by being me?"

"Evie listen to me," William said firmly lifting her chin so that she would have to look at him, he continued "Your mother was wrong_"

"She said I wasn't to call her that anymore," Evelyn cried dissolving into tears again. William glanced over at Jessica and frowned. As much as he loved her, at this moment he couldn't stand her. Jessica stood there silently challenging him to contradict her, to tell her she was wrong. Sadly shaking his head he would never understand how she could so unreasonably lash out at her children and cause such unnecessary turmoil in their young lives. He just came from visiting Gene who was scared to come home because he was afraid his mother hated him and now he was comforting his daughter for the same thing. He briefly wondered once Robert was back if he would have to do the same with him. Even before this happened Jessica was already distancing herself from him because he acted for Gene instead of babysitting him. William would always be thankful that Robert had the presence of mind to follow Gene that night but he knew Jessica felt differently and that Robert sensed it as well. 

Jessica stood there her arms wrapped around herself, watching her husband hold that alien child when he should be comforting her. How could he after all they did to him? Nothing he could say would convince her it wasn't that things fault for bringing the aliens to their house. Abducting her son. She wanted to tear them apart, to kick her out of her house, to get rid of her before the aliens did anything else to them. Bile rose in her throat as she watched William comfort that vile thing.

"Honey she's wrong, this is not your fault. This all began before you or I were ever born. The aliens have their own agenda and unfortunately for us we validate their work. You for existing and me for giving birth to you. That makes your brother special because they think he will have the same ability."

Nodding her head Evelyn asked "Is there anything we can do?"
Smiling at her, William said " We can be here for Robert when he comes back. He's going to need all the love and support we can give him."

"I'd do anything for him."

"I know you would dear," William hugged his daughter "Now go inside and wash your face. Your mother and I have things to discuss."

Glancing at Jessica, Evelyn said "I think I'll get ready for school."

"Whatever you feel like doing sweetheart," William said as he walked towards Jessica.
 

Once he heard the door close and he knew Evelyn couldn't hear he lashed into Jessica "What the hell do you think you're doing? Do you want to alienate all your children?"

"She's not my child," Jessica spat at him.

Shocked William clenched his teeth "She's my child Jessica and I won't have you filling her head up with your fears and hate."

"She's one of them. The sight of her sickens me," Jessica said knowing what she said would hurt William but at the moment she didn't care. "She can't stay here. She's a menace and as long as she's around the family isn't safe. I want her gone."

"Just like Gene is too dangerous to have around. What about Robert? You already look at him like he can't be trusted. What about when he returns? Will he be unsafe to be around the family too? Am I unsafe to have around too? Pretty soon there'll be no family for you to protect. We'll all be unsafe. Do you really want to fear your own children? You're being harsh, judging them dangerous because of things completely out of there control. Robert had no more control than I did when the aliens abducted me. Yes he'll have things he'll need to deal with and he'll need our love and support once he comes back. Gene needs to know you love him. Right now he's convinced you hate him. Is he right? Do you hate him?" Without waiting for a response William continued "What you said about Evelyn is unacceptable How dare you blame her! She can't help what she is. She's a victim in all of this. An innocent victim. Can't you see that?"

Jessica broke into tears listening to William "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me. I'm just so scared. Please forgive me!"

"I'm not the one you need to apologize to. You need help Jessica to come to grips with your issues before they tear us apart. I won't stand by and let you hurt our children."

"I know. I'll do whatever I need to keep our family together."

"Good because if it comes down to a choice between you or the kids. The kids will win."

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Robert was lying on a table, he tried to move his hands and feet but he couldn't tell if they were still attached to him or not. He clinched his eyes tight wishing he could do the same to his ears. He didn't want to see who/what was making that awful noise. His whole body flinched with each scream of agony that poor creature next him was making.

Something thick, warm and wet splashed over him. Swallowing hard he fought to keep the bile that rose to his throat down, commanding himself to keep his eyes shut. 'I don't want to know what that was. It's blood, I know it is. Think of something else, anything else.' Robert clinched his eyes shut forcing tears from the corners to slide down is face. He laid there listening to the gurgles and gasps of the poor tormented creature beside him.

It took a moment for Robert to realize the gurgling had ceased. There was a rustling beside him as a light was shone on his face and something grabbed his head prying his eyes open. He screamed in terror as he looked up into the menacing faces of two aliens. He struggled the best he could strapped to a table, he tossed his head to the side and caught a glance at the mutilated body of his English teacher. His attention temporarily diverted, he didn't notice the blade grinding it's way through his leg. Pain shot through him and he screamed as the aliens began there grisly task of dissecting him alive.

Roberts voice was hoarse from screaming and he lay whimpering in pain. 'Oh god please let them be done so I can die soon! I can't take much more.' An older alien entered the room yelling at the two technicians "You idiots this specimen was supposed to have been delivered to my lab hours ago. It is not for dissection."

Conferring with each other the technicians replied "This specimen was brought to us by the drones. When we finished with the first one we started on this one."

"Didn't you bother to check the barcode?" the two aliens shook their heads. "Idiots. You know drones are stupid. That's why protocol requires you to check the barcode on each specimen received. Now put it back together and send it to my lab."

Robert laughed weakly as he imagined himself as an alien jigsaw puzzle. As the technicians began to reattach his limbs the pain was intense. Pausing at the exit the older alien turned and commanded "Give the specimen a numbing agent. I can't have it stressed when I begin my work."

Several hours later, Robert opened his eyes and immediately closed them again. A bright light was directly overhead boring into him making his skin feel burnt. He heard the aliens moving around him speaking in hushed tones. Thankfully he couldn't feel anything but confusion over what was happening to him. He wondered if this was what his father went through each time he was abducted and would he, like his father, give birth to an alien child. He wondered if he would be able to endure this nightmare and live a happy normal life afterwards. He had to believe he could, his father had, why not him?