Elements
4
I opened my eyes again when we started to move forward. I glanced out of helicopter, leaning forward slightly so I could look down at the vast expanse of land beneath me. I could see the white buildings now, and there were more than just the two that I had visited. Another three huge white buildings – all the same shape and size as the two I’d visited – were located around a central building, which I assumed to be the one where I had met Mr Andrews. They were placed in a square-ish formation, like the number five on a dice. I could see the roads between them, each lined with crab apple trees. I could see a large glass building which looked oddly like a shopping mall, a large parking lot which was filled with cars and (finally) the perimeter of the facility. We were heading towards the west flank of the facility, flying lower than usual so that we were off the radar. Flying low enough for me to see the armed soldiers in their camouflage outfits patrolling the border. Flying low enough for me to read the large sign as we crossed the perimeter fence onto a vast expanse of desert.
Area 51. Authorised personal only.
I let out a gasp which was lost in the noise from the blades above me.
Area fucking 51! What happened to Roswell and the aliens?
It was clear to see that there were no aliens being kept at Area 51. It was a government facility to carry out tests on people like me. Turn them into freaks like me. I felt the fire burning through my veins again but I fought it, pushing it away with clenched teeth.
I sat back against my seat, letting the cool air rush over me. For a second I couldn’t see how the government had kept this secret, but then I realised that it was all just another governmental media ploy.
In my opinion, the media existed to spark fear into the public. By feeding them a bullshit story about little green men from Mars, they were pulling the attention away from the real story.
I wonder how long they’ve been carrying out tests, I thought to myself. How many people – regular citizens like me – had been a part of this project? How many people had died in the attempts to perfect the formula? Was I the first one to survive? All these questions were chasing each other inside my head, offering no answers. I closed my eyes and remembered how tired I was. I fell asleep almost straight away
I woke up a little later on as the helicopter banked sharply left to go further south. I rubbed my eyes as I wondered to myself where Dr Andrews was sending me. Did he know where I lived? Did he know my family? Did they know that I was on my way home?
Or was I going someplace else? A place that I didn’t know. A place where I didn’t know anybody there? A place with people like me?
The pilot’s voice sounded through the headset.
“Are you enjoying the ride, Mr Jackson?” he said, his voice distorted slightly through the headphones.
“Time of my life, boss,” I replied, trying to make another stab at being casual but failing brilliantly.
“Just relax, kid,” came the pilot’s voice with a laugh. “We’re almost there.”
I didn’t know whether to take the last comment sarcastically or not, so I just sat silently and looked out of the helicopter at the landscape beneath me. The sun was low in the sky, it’s orangey-yellow light casting shadows over hills and fields. Where am I?
I tried to guess the time. 5pm? Maybe 6pm? I kept my eyes focused at what was down below. I looked further forward and I could see houses coming into view. Big houses, by the looks of it. Most of them had pools and some even had private tennis courts. The ocean was straight ahead of the houses, and the sun was almost on the horizon. This could only mean one thing. I was on the West Coast. I was looking out over the Pacific Ocean. Judging by my calculations of which direction we’d flown in, I was in California. My stomach flipped over as we started to make our descent to the Golden State. The chopper was still moving forwards, seemingly towards a huge house on top of a cliff, right on the coastline. We were so low that I could see the cars on the streets, people walking along the sidewalks, sunbathers catching the last of the sun’s rays in their back yards. The helicopter came to a stop in mid-air, hovering about twenty feet above the road and then making its slow descent. I saw the huge double doors of the house open, a hunched figure walking out of them onto the road with their hands over their head. The pilot touched down and the propellers whined as they started to slow down. I was unbuckling myself and removing my headset when suddenly, the figure appeared at the door of the helicopter. As I realised who it was, I couldn’t stop my mouth from opening in shock and slight rage. I was staring into the face of a smiling Nurse Brandon.
Area 51. Authorised personal only.
I let out a gasp which was lost in the noise from the blades above me.
Area fucking 51! What happened to Roswell and the aliens?
It was clear to see that there were no aliens being kept at Area 51. It was a government facility to carry out tests on people like me. Turn them into freaks like me. I felt the fire burning through my veins again but I fought it, pushing it away with clenched teeth.
I sat back against my seat, letting the cool air rush over me. For a second I couldn’t see how the government had kept this secret, but then I realised that it was all just another governmental media ploy.
In my opinion, the media existed to spark fear into the public. By feeding them a bullshit story about little green men from Mars, they were pulling the attention away from the real story.
I wonder how long they’ve been carrying out tests, I thought to myself. How many people – regular citizens like me – had been a part of this project? How many people had died in the attempts to perfect the formula? Was I the first one to survive? All these questions were chasing each other inside my head, offering no answers. I closed my eyes and remembered how tired I was. I fell asleep almost straight away
I woke up a little later on as the helicopter banked sharply left to go further south. I rubbed my eyes as I wondered to myself where Dr Andrews was sending me. Did he know where I lived? Did he know my family? Did they know that I was on my way home?
Or was I going someplace else? A place that I didn’t know. A place where I didn’t know anybody there? A place with people like me?
The pilot’s voice sounded through the headset.
“Are you enjoying the ride, Mr Jackson?” he said, his voice distorted slightly through the headphones.
“Time of my life, boss,” I replied, trying to make another stab at being casual but failing brilliantly.
“Just relax, kid,” came the pilot’s voice with a laugh. “We’re almost there.”
I didn’t know whether to take the last comment sarcastically or not, so I just sat silently and looked out of the helicopter at the landscape beneath me. The sun was low in the sky, it’s orangey-yellow light casting shadows over hills and fields. Where am I?
I tried to guess the time. 5pm? Maybe 6pm? I kept my eyes focused at what was down below. I looked further forward and I could see houses coming into view. Big houses, by the looks of it. Most of them had pools and some even had private tennis courts. The ocean was straight ahead of the houses, and the sun was almost on the horizon. This could only mean one thing. I was on the West Coast. I was looking out over the Pacific Ocean. Judging by my calculations of which direction we’d flown in, I was in California. My stomach flipped over as we started to make our descent to the Golden State. The chopper was still moving forwards, seemingly towards a huge house on top of a cliff, right on the coastline. We were so low that I could see the cars on the streets, people walking along the sidewalks, sunbathers catching the last of the sun’s rays in their back yards. The helicopter came to a stop in mid-air, hovering about twenty feet above the road and then making its slow descent. I saw the huge double doors of the house open, a hunched figure walking out of them onto the road with their hands over their head. The pilot touched down and the propellers whined as they started to slow down. I was unbuckling myself and removing my headset when suddenly, the figure appeared at the door of the helicopter. As I realised who it was, I couldn’t stop my mouth from opening in shock and slight rage. I was staring into the face of a smiling Nurse Brandon.