9
The Bombshell
It’s another beautiful day, with London experiencing one of those prolonged hot spells that everyone puts down to global warming. While some people are wilting, I love the Mediterranean heat and despite London’s reputation as a rainy destination, we haven’t seen a drop of it in six weeks. I decide to take a stroll through Hyde Park and Ray joins me.
It’s busy, as always at this time of year, yet the park has the ability to swallow up all of its visitors and still feel as if there’s plenty of room for everyone. The suits are occupying the benches, tapping away on their phones; families are on the grass playing ball with their yappy dogs; and of course there are hoards of the ubiquitous tourist, videoing everything instead of appreciating it with their own eyes.
Ray and I find ourselves a quiet spot on the grass, underneath the yawning arms of a great oak.
“Do you have any brothers and sisters?” I venture. “And what about your mother? I’ve only heard you mention your father.”
He gazes off into the distance. “It’s just me and my father. There is no one else. We are the only two of our kind that I know of. At least in this universe. I don’t know much about what lies beyond.”
“Beyond?”
He sighs. “Let’s just focus on my father for now. I only call him my father so we have a common frame of reference. It would perhaps be more accurate if I just call him my parent, since I only have the one. He, or rather it, is the organism from which I am cloned.”
I gasp. “Cloned? You mean like an android copy?”
He chuckles softly. “No, I am not a robot. We are asexual creatures. A child is budded from the parent organism. A clone of the original.”
“And there are only the two of you?”
He nods. “Any more would be surplus to requirements at this time.”
“Surplus to requirements! But wouldn’t you like a brother or sister? You know, someone your own age to hang with. Don’t you get bored?”
He plucks a daisy from the grass and twiddles it between his fingers. “I sometimes get to commune with humans.”
“So you’ve been to Earth before?”
“No. This is my first visit.”
“But you just said you’ve communed with other humans.”
“Oh!” he says, acknowledging my confusion. “Not the way I communed with you. Not by touch. I can commune with someone’s mind over long distances. In fact it’s the way I communicate with my father. I can read his mind and he can read mine. But if I want someone to physically experience something, like I did with you, then I have to touch them. I wanted to give you just the merest hint of what I went through to get here. I thought if I demonstrated some of the forces exerted on the body, it would make it seem more real for you. I wanted you to believe.”
“Why do you need me to believe?”
“I don’t, not in the strictest sense, but just for a moment imagine what an opportunity this is for me. I may never get the chance to come here again and to have a friend I can openly discuss matters with will vastly enhance my experience. I feel very privileged to have met someone I feel I can trust, especially since my visit here is so brief. This is so much more than I’d dared hope for.”
“Why does your visit have to be brief?”
“Because of the transient nature of my human form. It consumes a lot of energy maintaining this appearance.”
“And once you leave, that’s it, you’re never coming back again?”
“We don’t risk it, unless there is a pressing need.”
“So you’re saying there is a pressing need for you to be here at this particular time?”
He hesitates. “Are you sure you want to know? Because once I tell you it cannot be untold and it must remain our secret.”
“Well of course I have to know now, otherwise it’s going to bug the hell out of me.”
Ray tosses the daisy aside and moves closer, facing me head on. “Okay, but listen carefully because it’s a little complicated.”
I nod enthusiastically and wait with bated breath for him to explain.
“Nine percent of human DNA is exogenous, meaning it originated from an external source. A non-human source. Eight percent is from retroviruses, such as the HIV virus, which have the ability to stitch their own genes into the cells of those they infect. Are you with me so far?”
“I think so. What about the other one percent?”
“That’s the bit we’re interested in. Scientists class it as being of unknown origin, but the prevailing theory is that it’s from a non-Terran virus, most likely brought to earth on a meteorite.”
“Non-Terran? You mean like an alien virus?”
“Yes, but the theory is only half right. It’s alien, for sure, but my father was the original source.”
“Your father?” I gasp.
Ray nods.
“And is that a problem?”
“Not originally, but the gene my father seeded all that time ago has started going rogue.”
“Going rogue? What does that mean?”
“It has mutated and is causing accelerated cell division.”
“That doesn’t sound very good.”
“It isn’t. It’s a ticking time bomb that could jeopardise the future of the entire human race if left unchecked.”
“What!” I yelp.
“Don’t worry, I’m talking about something that’s a long way off in the future, but even so, action needs to be taken now so the fix can be properly seeded throughout the population.”
“What fix?”
“The fix for the errant duplicons.”
Confused, I shake my head. “You’ve lost me now.”
He sighs. “Maybe I should start at the beginning.”
“That might help.”
“A few million years ago my father came to Earth, to sub-Saharan Africa, on a mission very much like my own. Evolution of the great ape was not progressing at the expected rate, so my father took their form to enable him to mate with one of them.”
“Hold it a second. Your dad mated with some kind of ape?” I ask, my nose scrunched up in disgust.
“It was necessary. You wouldn’t be sitting here today if he hadn’t.”
I scowl. “What are you saying?”
“He is responsible for the genetic boost that kick-started human evolution.”
My brain starts to feel fuzzy as I struggle to take in the enormity of what he’s telling me, but Ray continues explaining.
“He provided a genetic material called chromosomal duplicons, which allowed mankind to develop at a vastly accelerated rate to become the dominant species on the planet. Now every human carries that same genetic material, but over recent centuries the duplicons have started going rogue. They’re over-replicating, destroying existing cells and replacing them with incorrectly-programmed cells. Phase One began in the brain, causing many of the common brain disorders man suffers from today. Phase Two saw it spread to other less-complex cells throughout the body, replacing healthy cells with malignant ones.”
My skin prickles. “Malignant? You mean cancer?”
He looks me in the eyes. “There is worse yet to come.”
“Worse? What could possibly be worse?”
“Phase Three will see a widespread disruption of the reproductive system, eventually rendering the human race completely sterile.”
“Sterile!” I cry out loud.
Ray looks around furtively. “Please, Blake, keep your voice down.”
I glance about me to see that my raised voice has garnered unwanted interest from some passers-by. “Well, what the fuck do you intend to do about it?” I ask, my voice squeaky with the shock of what I’m hearing.
“Why do you think I’m here?” Ray asks softly.
“I don’t know. Tell me,” I say, my head beginning to throb.
“I’m here to provide the next genetic boost. To create a new model of human. A more robust and disease-resistant human. In short, I am the cure.”
“How are you going to create a new model of human?”
“By mating with a human female.”
“But you just said you’re asexual.”
“Only when I’m in my natural state. In this body, I experience the full gamut of human emotions and desires.”
“So your dad mated with some ancient ape to kick-start a new species and now you’re here to do the same thing with a human?”
“It’s different this time. The element I’m injecting into the genome is much more stable, and we are only talking about enhancing an existing species, not creating a new one.”
“And all you have to do is have sex with one female and the whole human race will be cured? How does that work?”
“It’s not an instant cure, but over the generations the better human will prevail, until he becomes so dominant that the potential disaster can be averted.”
“Oh my God!” I gasp, wondering if there is a brain inside this thick skull of mine. “All this time I’ve been helping you and I didn’t realise.”
He scowls at me. “Realise what?”
“You’re not just talking about having sex with a woman. You’re talking about getting her pregnant.”
He shrugs. “It is one and the same thing.”
“No it isn’t,” I yell, before realising I’ve raised my voice again.
“It is for me. The semen I’m carrying inside this human body is not the same as yours. It has been specially formulated. It is both long-lived and extremely potent. When I mate with a female, my semen will remain inside her until she ovulates and then it will impregnate her. No ifs or buts.”
I stare at him, dumbfounded for several seconds, until I find my voice again.
“There’s just one flaw in this little plan of yours, my alien friend.”
“And what’s that?”
“It’s called a condom. You’ll be expected to wear one.”
He huffs. “I assure you, my sperm can swim through a thin layer of latex without even making a splash.”
“Feisty little buggers, are they? And when exactly did you plan on telling me any of this?”
He blanches. “I wasn’t aware the quality of my semen would be of interest to you.”
I kink an eyebrow at him. “I meant the bit about getting the girl pregnant.”
“Oh!” he replies lamely.
“You roped me into trying to fix you up with a girl, but you never said anything about getting her pregnant. You were making me an accessory to your deception.”
“Blake, I don’t understand what objection you or the girl could possibly have when we’re talking about the survival of the whole human race. It’s not like I’d be doing the female any kind of disservice. Surely there is no greater honour than to be the chosen vessel to save your race from possible extinction?”
“Vessel?” I gawk at him. “Are you serious? People aren’t objects to be used as you deem appropriate. We have this thing called human rights. It means the freedom of the individual to choose.”
“And what use are these rights if there are no humans left?”
“You can’t just go around making a girl pregnant with some superhuman baby without even asking her if it’s okay.”
“And what would you have me tell her? How would I explain it to her? This has to be our secret, Blake. No one else must know.”
“Wow, Ray! That’s one hell of a bombshell you just dropped on me.”
He leans forward and takes my hand. “I know I can rely on you to be discreet.”
I tug my hand free. “Why me? I’m a nobody. Why did you pick me to help you?”
He gives me an apologetic look. “I didn’t. You’re the first person I met when I arrived.”
“So it could have been anyone. I’m nothing to you.”
“That’s not true. From the moment we met, I felt a connection with you. I don’t fully understand it myself, but maybe I was meant to meet you so you could help me through this.”
“So I could help you inject your alien sperm into a human female to produce some kind of a hybrid being?”
“The sperm I am carrying in this body is enhanced human sperm. As I explained earlier, human DNA already contains non-human elements. This isn’t anything radically different. Think of it in terms of computer software. If your software had a bug, you’d want an update to fix the program, wouldn’t you?”
“The difference is human beings have feelings and once you’ve done the deed, you intend to leave the girl to deal with the consequences on her own. Am I right?”
“Blake, please stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like I’m an alien.”
I huff. “Well you are, aren’t you?”
“I thought you didn’t really believe me. You think I’m making all this up.”
“Oh no, I believe you now. No one could make that shit up. Why would they? You definitely have me convinced now.”
“But I don’t want you to look at me like we’re strangers. Can’t we still be friends?”
“I don’t know, Ray.”
He swallows hard. “If what I’ve told you makes you uncomfortable to be around me, maybe I should find somewhere else to stay.”
“Somewhere else? No way! You can’t tell me all that shit then walk out.”
“I’m only trying to help,” Ray insists. “And your friendship is very important to me. When I knew I was coming here, I was both excited and nervous. I feel very privileged to be able to walk among humans and experience life as you experience it. But I never dared hope that during such a brief visit I might form genuine feelings for someone. It is greatly enhancing my experience. It’s fascinating to feel the same emotional turmoil that you humans suffer. I wish I could stay and analyse it further.”
“You have…feelings for someone?” I ask hesitantly. “Who?”
He huffs. “You, of course!”
I gasp, stunned by his revelation. This is the first time he’s actually admitted having any kind of feelings for me. But what does it matter? He has no intention of staying once the mission is accomplished.
“You make it sound like a game, but it isn’t. Humans can’t just dip in and out of their emotional turmoil. We live with it. We live with the consequences of it. You come here, play at being a human for a few days and think you have it all figured out. If you had a real heart beating in your chest you’d understand what I’m saying. You don’t just get a girl pregnant and then walk out.”
“But I can’t maintain this transient form for too long,” he argues. “Maybe a month at best.”
“How do you know she won’t abort the pregnancy once you’re out of the picture?”
“My semen contains an amino acid that converts into a slow-release mood enhancer, similar to serotonin, only more powerful. She will experience a euphoric high throughout her pregnancy. She will be happy to have my child.”
“You’ve got all the angles covered, huh?” I sneer.
“The survival of your species relies on me having all the angles covered.”
“I don’t like it, Ray. Doesn’t it bother you at all?”
“I have no more choice in this matter than the girl. I am my father’s agent. My function in life is to serve him. I am being used as the instrument of delivery, the same way the girl will be used as the carrier.”
“So why don’t you rebel?”
“And what would that accomplish?”
I shrug. “It would make you…more human. We humans like to think the choices we make in life are our own.”
“It is my duty to protect your species, so that you may continue to rebel and make your own choices.”
He smiles at me and it feels like a warm hug wrapping around my heart. The ease with which he can disarm me, even in the middle of a heated debate, is frankly ridiculous. I’m like putty in his hands.
“So that’s the plan, huh? And once the deed is done we’re never going to see each other again.”
“I will never forget you, Blake.”
“Is that supposed to be some kind of comfort to me?”
“Can you say the same? Will you remember me when I’m gone?”
I look into his eyes. “Do you imagine I have a choice in the matter?”
He chuckles softly. “I suppose meeting an alien is something that’s going to stick with you for a while.”
“That’s not what I mean.” I take his hand and place it over my heart, so he can feel for himself how he upsets my equilibrium. “You make my heart trip over itself every time I look into your eyes. I’ve never met anyone else who had that effect on me.”
I hear his breath hitch and I reach out to stroke his cheek, wishing I was brave enough to slip my hand around the back of his neck and pull him in for a kiss—the type of really hard kiss that would rock him to his alien core.
He thinks he knows what it is to be human, but he hasn’t a clue. Before this boy leaves, I aim to give him the full-on human experience. He’s already admitted that he feels something for me, but he hasn’t yet given full rein to those emotions. Being human is all about taking risks, making choices, being true to yourself. It’s only when he puts something on the line—whether it be his heart, his mission, or the wrath of his father—that he’ll understand what makes a human tick.
I think I know where his true feelings lie and it’s not with the opposite sex. That’s what he refers to as his duty. I’m convinced that my beautiful alien friend is really into boys. And I’d like to help him discover his true self.
That is going to be my mission.