Pray or Be Prey

Chapter Two

Six hundred years. Not a relatively long time for us, but still, it was long enough for many to become agitated at the snail's pace this project was taking. Our fathers had searched everywhere for remnants of us to the point many had lost hope. Thankfully, a few pressed on, knowing somewhere, hidden, samples of our DNA survived. The Deluge had completely covered the earth killing all life.

All life, save those that the handmade ark secured. We climbed the tallest buildings, trees, and mountains available to us, while the humans scurried around like rats—clawing their way to the highest heights. Countless, though, had become like ants, squished under our huge feet. I was one of the few to remain until the end. My love and four others from our city had managed to make it to the tallest mountain in the land. Finding shelter there from the never-ending water that fell from the skies, we were sure our lives would be spared. Spared the fate of all we'd known, built, cultivated. That surety was short-lived, evident by the fifth day.

I held my love as tight as my sore arms could. The current of the water which had nearly flooded the shallow cave snatched her from my grip without warning. Her horror-filled eyes were the last I remember as water muffled her screams. Shortly after, I gave up hope. There was no need to delay my fate. With one last look over the wave cresting horizon, I took my last breath as another push of the current thrust me against the jagged stone walls. Piercing pain on the right side of my neck, then nothing. No pain, not shivering or warm flesh, only an unquenchable thirst to feel, touch, breath again, to live. My kind wandered the earth for hundreds of lifetimes. But it was not the earth as we knew it. It was a place we called The Void. There we were to never find rest, peace, or pleasure.

Then, by some miracle, our fathers found the cave. But instead of it being high above the clouds as on that dreadful day, it was only 13,000 feet from the ground. That meant that much of the earth's surface had been changed by the strong currents of the flood. Some of my DNA had survived, trapped in an air pocket behind some rocks. How it did, none could understand, only elated it had. Once the knowledge of the retrieval of my DNA had become widespread, a renewed determination to find that of others ensued.

For several hundred years, a viable host body was sought. Every experiment showed more promise than those prior. Still, none had the complex makeup needed for the modifications our fathers did to us. No longer did they want us to be the giants of old. In order to continue their agenda, we had to walk freely amongst humans. We had to act, walk, speak—look human.

For over two hundred years, I infiltrated societies, recruiting humans to obtain them for what our fathers had soon come to realize. Sourcing human blood. Just as it is the lifeforce for humans, it had proven to be the life source for our ultimate army. The DNA pool of my kind was limited. There wasn't enough to produce the numbers we once had. Procreation was still tricky since the males, after reaching adulthood, proved to be sterile. Only a few of our fathers volunteered to mate again with human women, hoping to produce females for us to mate with. But of every hundred newborns, only about five were females, and they too were sterile. A cruel punishment and reminder, no doubt by The Most High. He had intended our kind to be killed off by the waters. Our attempts to reclaim the earth as before would not be granted to us so easily.

Out of determination and need, the innovation of our metallic army formed. The metal was forged using ancient understandings, lost to mankind, but not to our fathers. These machines could contain the spirits of the newborns who often didn't survive their first six months of life. Again, defects in the DNA from over cross-breeding. Yet, their spirits roamed, confused and afraid in The Void. Such innocence was easy to mold to the plan. Once they experienced the freedom and security of the metallic shell, they quickly integrated with it, hungering only for human blood to sustain its circuitry's functionality.

However, this wasn't the only reason we needed humans. We'd be able to use not only their blood but also their bodies to help construct the bodies many of the older spirits required to live in the physical world. Such was my side interest. I'd become practically obsessed with perfecting the process currently used. Efficiency among my kind was something well praised and rewarded—the rewards for me were motivation enough!

My job's objective was clear. Continue to provide humans (volunteers) to be used in the blood banks we had scattered all over the earth. Watch out for any human who could hear, sense, or see us (yes, they do exist). Most importantly, don't get captured by any government agency. The majority were under our control, but within the past 80 years, shadow governments have been on the rise. These were more difficult to infiltrate.

Currently, I've set up shop in an average-sized city along the east coast of the USA. The large number of people passing through provides great cover should they go missing. Besides that, the local crime element has not only become a great source of fresh volunteers, but a small business proposition made with the leaders has proven quite beneficial for all involved. They provide disposal of whatever remains of our volunteers; we periodically give them new formulas for product to sell on the streets. The rivalry amongst the gangs to be the one with the latest formula keeps our activity how we like it, a secret.

Are you there, Ayularc?

I'm here, Ayularc replied, lips not moving.

What is the status with the latest delivery?

On schedule. We will be ready for the transport team at the designated location and time, this Friday.

Noted!

After a few moments of silence and feeling the pressure subside in his head, Ayularc let his shoulders relax. To hear his name spoken in his native language always seemed out of place lately. The humans he did business with had many names for him, yet none came close to his real one. Not that they'd know it. No human for many generations had spoken it or understood how, before the flood, to utter his name could mean death. In his previous life, he was feared by many humans and his own kind. But those were different times which called for such ruthlessness. The world had progressed into a place where a softer yet firm hand and beguiling smile proved more effective.

Ayularc turned his focus back to the laptop screen on his desk. He'd been mindlessly surfing the Internet when his thoughts had drifted back to a life long lost. It had been triggered by a video of people enjoying a day out on a boat fishing and drinking. Laughter rang from their lips; they were carefree. Carefree and oblivious to what was about to peel back the smiles off of their faces, switching out the joy in their eyes for that of awe and fright. The right corner of Ayularc's mouth tilted up as he relished the thought of draining each of them.

"Happy, silly rats," he whispered to the laptop screen.