The Andromeda Effect

Chapter 11 = Our Place in the Universe

The next day, while the BMW was parked next to a woodland area at the side of a road near to Luton, Jenny and Sandra had stayed behind in the car with Xianni while Bruce, Isaac and Maurice had gone into the woodlands to use the bathroom, but they'd made sure to bring the guns with them just in case they ran into any trouble. 

They'd been heading to London, because Xianni had said that because she was damaged and not functioning at full capacity, in order to let her people know where she was, they needed to head to a large power plant in London, where there'd be enough electrical energy in the area for Xianni to effectively be able to send a communication. Apparently, her species' left eyes were different to the right ones, and were shades of purple and had slitted irises because it's what they use to mentally communicate with each other. 

"I wonder what it's like." Jenny suddenly thought out loud, turning to Xianni. They were sat in the back (there was only just room to fit all 6 members of the group in the car) while Sandra was in the driver's seat. "To be a member of your species." 

Xianni smiled. "I too sometimes wonder what it would be like to be a human." 

"It's nothing really to be excited about." Sandra said with a chuckle. "I can't even begin to imagine how amazing it would be to have my body made of self-repairing tissue, and for my blood to be white or to have psychic abilities!" 

"Do you know how exciting it is for you to be a human? It means you go even further out of your way to avoid danger because your body doesn't self repair." Xianni replied, sounding excited at the thought of her being a human. Jenny was imagining it, too, and she smiled at the thought of it. "It means you have more excitement in your lifetimes! And your lifespans are shorter than those of my people, but even though your lifetimes are shorter than ours, you can still live your dreams in those 90 or 100 Earth years! Just because something is not easy, it does not mean that it's not worth doing! We all have our place in the universe. And all of our places in the universe are very special."

"Thank you, Xianni." Sandra thanked, turning around and smiling at the white-haired android girl behind her. "You're very right." 

"This conversation is certainly very philosophical." Jenny said, then after a second or 2, she added, "But that's not a bad thing." 

Yes, not only had Jenny and Sandra already formed a friendship with Maurice, Isaac and Bruce, but they were quickly starting to become friends with Xianni, too. And it made them very happy inside. 

Meanwhile, back at the Birmingham National Laboratory, however, things weren't as cheerful. The atmosphere in the meeting room wasn't cheerful at all. It was somber and dull, and once it got to you, it was also intimidating. The silence forced itself in like undersea pressure on the scientists around the meeting table, including the still wounded Oswald, before the silence was broken by Dr Keagan's voice. 

"Gentlemen. I call this meeting to attention to discuss a troubling matter. Not all of you may know what I mean by this, so I will elaborate;" He began. "As you already know, the extra-terrestrial android girl escaped 3 days ago from this lab, aided by 3 of our own men: Maurice White, Bruce Sanders and Isaac Taylor. The 4 of these people were last sighted in Northampton, in the company of 2 teenage civilians. I call forth a new plan."

 He looked around the table at his fellow scientists, his devoted followers. Even the toughest out of them were slightly intimidated by the gaze emanating from his hazel eyes. They say that the eyes are the windows into the soul, and Keagan's soul was clearly as black as the midnight sky. "The new plan is this: I believe the traitors and the extra-terrestrial are heading towards London because of the large power plant there so that they can get her off this planet, and their journey to this power plant should take just less than a day. A large group of scientists will be stationed around that area, waiting for them. They will be lead by Dr Riley." 

Oswald's eyes widened in confusion. Why hadn't his boss chosen him to lead the team to stop the traitors once and for all? 

"Sir, when do you want us to start on our way to London?" Dr Riley asked. He was a British man like most of them, except for a couple of the scientists who were American, including Keagan himself. He had short, wavy dark brown hair and very dark brown eyes.

Keagan turned to face Dr Riley before answering with, "Immediately." But then he also said, "Although, before this meeting is dismissed, there is one other matter that needs to be dealt with." He looked directly at Oswald. "Riley, Brown, you 2 hold him still." And then suddenly, Dr Brown and Dr Riley got up from their seats without hesitation and forced Dr Oswald onto the ground before forcing his arms behind his back. 

"What are you doing, you idiots?! Let me go!" Shouted Oswald, struggling against the grip of his 2 fellow scientists restraining him, but to no avail at all. "Keagan, what are you doing? What's the meaning of this?" 

"You had the traitors and their teenage allies firmly in your grip, Oswald, and you let them slip through your fingers numerous times." Keagan smirked and fetched a handgun out of his lab coat pocket. "Didn't I warn you yesterday that if they escaped from you again, I'd shoot you myself? And I tend to keep true to my word, you see. Just like how you should be loyal to me." 

"But sir, I am loyal to you! I'm devoted to you! I'm one of your most loyal followers!" Oswald yelled. 

"Ah, but if you were as loyal as you claim to be, then you wouldn't have made so many mistakes. I'm forgiving of mistakes the first time or maybe the 2nd, but make too many mistakes like you have done and it proves that you are not one of us. You are no follower of mine." 

Keagan pointed his gun directly at Oswald's head. 

"No! No, WAIT! PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU! I'LL NEVER MAKE ANY MORE MISTAKES EVER AGAIN, I PROMISE!" Oswald screamed desperately. 

"Oh but of course you won't make any mistakes anymore, Richard." Keagan simply told him with a sadistic grin. "In fact... one might say you'll never do anything ever again." 

And with that, Keagan cocked his gun, still pointing it at Dr Richard Oswald's head, and pulled the trigger.