The Madonna Mission: P H A S E 4

[Misty sitting in front of the quarantine chamber observing Brock, picture taken by Brooklyn]

MEGAN: RECOLLECTION

I knew he was above me. His screeching echoed through the cathedral of tall Sanguis trees. I think he wanted to keep a distance from me. He was observing me. After leaving Ava and Misty to carry back Bonnie’s body, I gathered her clothes. I dug a shallow hole and buried them. I didn’t realize it until I brushed my hair from my face, but my hands were wet. Handling Bonnie’s clothes, my hands were now covered in urine, blood and amniotic fluid. They glistened in the light of a nearby bioluminescent flower that has a soft red glow teeming from its veins. I began to panic and frantically rubbed my shaking hands in the dirt. The fluids clumped with the dirt and fell from my hands as I tried to cleanse them. At the time I felt responsible for Bonnie’s death. I think we all did for a moment. I knew how sick she was, I could’ve done something. This thought was interrupted by another deeper roar from the IC, perched above somewhere in the trees. I’m sure the smell of the blood had wafted towards him and sent him through another rush of aggression, fear, confusion and longing. I felt if I ran, the creature would follow. So I ran. I ran deeper into the woods. The heavy backpack shook on my back, making it hard to run very fast. The rattling of food and medicine in the pack made it impossible to consider hiding from the creature. I’m sure he would have just smelled me anyway. I felt an odd sense of dreadful fear mixed with a heavy sense of purpose and excitement. I ran into a break in the thick forest at the top of a hill. I turned to watch as the IC swung onto a branch and crawled slowly as far forward as it could. The branch sagged from his weight. Even though he only stood about 5 ft tall at the time – he was a dense and muscular creature. I wouldn’t have been able to spot him if it weren’t for the movement of the branches and the slight glisten of his black scales and eyes – peering intently at me from the leaf shrouded darkness of the tree tops. The sight frightened me and I began walking backwards. I fell straight into a small slot canyon, the ground crumbled beneath my feet and I tumbled down the small canyon several yards. I hit the ground and fell unconscious. When I woke, it was day. I could see the sunlight fill the sky. But the canyon I had fallen in, still lingered in darkness. My backpack was dangling on a root in front and above me slightly. It seemed strangely idyllic. I got up and immediately fell back down. Intense pain surged up my left leg. I lifted my pant leg and saw that my ankle was swollen and red. It hurt immensely. I must have sprained my ankle in the fall. Without putting weight on the injured foot, I reached high to lift the bag off its precarious hook. Emerging from a dark rock crevice just behind the bag, a swift taloned black hand reached out and cut my hand severely. I lurched backwards putting all my weight on my injured ankle. Stumbling backwards, I felt the bones and tendons in my ankle twist and crunch further. I crumpled to the floor and immediately examined my severed hand. A large cut ran down my palm, from here to here [Megan points to the crevice between her middle and ring finger – down to the left side of her wrist]. Luckily he didn’t cut any of the vital veins in my wrist. I then looked up at the sound of rattling. The IC’s claws were tangled in the backpack, and he appeared to be stuck behind the rocks. After flailing the bag around, he eventually tore it free and pulled the mangled bag into his hole with a hiss. I could tell he was embarrassed. His trap didn’t work. In the process of trying to get his claws free, he flung the contents of the bag onto the floor of the small dirt canyon. Among which was medicine and bandaging Ava and I had packed. I sat there and bandaged up my wounded hand and ankle. After which I fascisiouly thanked the IC trapped behind the rocks. He seemed to understand because a tart hiss emanated from the stones back at me. I couldn’t help but giggle. He was really stuck. I later learned that he had clamored after me when I fell and inadvertently knocked loose several large stones that in their descent, trapped and pinned one of his legs – then fell all around him. I was filled with relief. I had him all to myself. I knew he would hurt me if he had the chance, but I thought of Ava’s story with Carson, and knew he could be tamed. From Anita I knew if I exposed him to water too early it could kill him. As I sat contemplating how to reach this creature, I remembered my mother teaching me and my brothers growing up. When we were frightened or upset, she always told us stories. So I told him stories. This went on for a couple of days. I told him dark stories, stories of peril. I told him stories of love and loss. I shared with him stories from my childhood. I told him of Earth. I told him Carson and Ava’s story. I told him all about Bonnie, how during training I met with her several times. Of how she counseled me and comforted me – reassured me that I was prepared for the mission, and that in spite of my fear, I could still accomplish incredible things. [Megan paused 00:00:06] He was growing slightly larger, and that made him more constrained in the rocks. It must have been miserable. When he would screech loudly, I would give him food through the hole. Eventually, he began putting out his hand to receive the food, letting me know when he was hungry. After more and more stories, he began taking the food more gently. I felt that we were making a connection, though I wasn’t entirely sure. It eventually got to the point where I felt comfortable placing the food in his palm. One of these times my skin brushed against his palm and for the slightest moment, my mind flooded with his feelings and thoughts. We both pulled our hands back. But I could tell in that brief moment – his feelings for me were becoming more affectionate. It was working. He was becoming tamed. I knew he was ready for my last story. I TOLD HIM THE STORY of Katelin the midwife with fiery red hair. And Conall, the soldier. Conall was cursed and had been transformed into a wolf. He met Katelin as she wandered through the woods looking for flowers. Conall smelled the blood on her hands, in spite of her trying to wash them clean. She was gathering flowers for a woman who had passed away during childbirth. Conall knew if Katelin ever saw him she would be frightened. But to his surprise, Katelin was kind to him. But you see, Conall had been a wolf for so long, he started to forget who he was – he started to become more wild and predatory. One day Conall had been overcome by the animal within and attacked Katelin. She took out her knife and cut the wolf back. The wolf whimpered and retreated – licking his wounds. For a moment he became Conall once more. He tasted Katelin’s blood in his mouth and saw the knife in her hand. He felt tremendous sorrow. He pawed at the ground and howled to the sky. Then he growled. The animal had taken over again, and he began tromping slowly towards Katelin. Katelin in a feat of sheer bravery, knowing the goodness she had seen in Conall’s eyes – threw her knife aside and ran to embrace the wolf. The wolf twisted and cried in her arms – scratching Katelin’s arms and legs. Katelin held even tighter. Just before the wolf sunk its teeth into Katelin’s neck – his muscles and bones began to shift. Conall transformed back into a man. The two returned to the village and began a beautiful life together. Many years later, Katelin died peacefully in her sleep. Conall carried her back to the woods and buried her in the ground where she had changed him. Conall was sure his curse would return to him without Katelin by his side. But the beast never came. MY MOTHER OFTEN TOLD this story and would sometimes change the ending. Sometimes Katelin would go to embrace the wolf and he would end her life. After feasting on her remains she would become a ghost that haunted the woods for years. Until one day a priest came and taught her again the love that once had root in her heart. Another ending I remember involved Katelin killing the wolf instead. She went on blissfully not realizing she had killed the man who could have become the love of her life. This ending was the most frightening to me as a child. It takes a lot to love — it takes even more to love after you’ve been bitten. But I would so much rather love and be hurt, than fear, and wonder what could have been. My dad left my mom when I was very young, after years of hurting her. I think this story was her way of dealing with it all. It was her way of teaching us about love and trust. AFTER I TOLD THIS story, I could tell the IC had changed, he seemed to sober. My hand lingered on his palm a little bit longer that day. I felt his desire to become more than what he was. It was time to be transformed. My ankle had healed enough for me to climb out of the canyon. I found a nearby stream and spent many hours rerouting it towards the small canyon where we were. The water gushed down over the rocks that contained the creature. He roared loudly as it poured over his scales — cracking and burning his skin. Black oil flowed from him, down the stream and into the red dirt of the canyon. His muscles and bones began to grow – feathers sprouted from his peeling skin. The rocks began to shift and eventually he had enough strength to burst from them. Doing so took all of his strength. He fell over and rolled forward with the stream. He writhed in the water until finally he fell unconscious. He had grown to about 15 feet in height. I washed the black liquid from his feathers, revealing dark blue and purple hues. I named him Kenyen, Bonnie’s middle name. It also felt appropriate given the time we spent in the canyon. We spent several days together on our own before we returned to the others. I felt that my time with Kenyen wouldn’t last forever. I figured I wouldn’t regret taking my time with him those first few days. [Megan paused 00:00:11] Thank you for asking me to do this. I think that’s all I should say.

AVA: JOURNAL: PRESTORM 150, 3609  

We’ve all had our children now. Megan returned from the wilderness a week later with Bonnie's child. He was covered in dark blue and purple feathers that in the right light looked black. She named him Kenyen, after Bonnie. She refused to talk about what happened. But I think I understand. If her time with Kenyen was anything like my time with Carson — I get why she doesn’t want to talk about it. She might just not know how. There were some things I haven’t shared with anyone about taming Carson. It feels almost sacred. I’ll try to write it all down one day, but right now I just don’t have the words. [Ava paused] Megan and Donna, for some reason, never became pregnant. Donna's situation seems clear, she explained how she'd had her uterus removed due to cancer back on Earth. When we asked Megan if she was dealing with anything like this, she said nothing was wrong. She’s continued to have periods and seems perfectly healthy. She confessed to me her deep desire to have her own IC. For obvious reasons she didn’t admit this to the others. But when she saw Carson for the first time, she was in awe. Megan’s always had a special heart. I remember how she nurtured our plants like they were her own children. She loves them. I occasionally caught her even talking to them. Knowing all this makes me grateful she has Kenyen. It’s horrible what happened to Bonnie, and I can see the toll it’s taken on Megan and Kenyen. I’ll never unsee what I saw. It’s comforting that something good came from all the pain somehow. Megan often disappears into the wild with Kenyen, riding on his back to mountaintops. Sharah’s IC came back with Donavan not too long after Megan and Kenyen. His feathers were colored green and gold. Sarah spent some alone time with him and named him, Titus. Sarah, Titus, Shawna and Donavan then started joining Megan and Kenyen on their adventures. Carson and I have stayed back at the camp. We want to be here with Brooklyn, Misty and their children. After Misty had her child it was placed in the containment chamber with Brooklyn’s. Brooklyn of course has been observing and recording as much as she can. She studies hers, and I think that’s her way of loving him. Misty was scared at first but the two quickly began building a bond. Misty and Brooklyn live by the glass. They’ve moved their bedding onto the floor and spend every waking hour with the IC’s. Misty named hers, Brock. Brooklyn wanted to name hers, Jesus. When she told me that, I laughed. I then realized she was being completely serious. I explained how that might be a little weird, and we settled for, Peter. Over time, Brock and Peter have become less aggressive. The IC’s began naturally sprinkling and watering themselves with their drinking water. It still caused them pain, but it seemed more bearable being voluntary and in smaller doses. Feathers sprouted and their muscles and size grew like the others. Brock, Misty’s son, began growing brown feathers. Brooklyn’s son, Peter, began growing silvery gray feathers. I anticipate it won’t be long before we let them out. So, in short — there are now […] [Ava paused] […] six ICs total. Carson, Kenyen, Donavan, Titus, Peter and Brock. There would have been seven. [Ava paused] Anita has been spending a lot of time with Donna. Which is good, because I can’t stand to be around her. She just wants to pretend she didn’t do what she did. I can see she’s in pain though. As much as she’s trying to bury it. I see past the facade. I’m having a hard time feeling bad for her. She deserves to feel horrible for what she did. [End of entry] CAPTAIN REPORT: ANITA: PRESTORM 150, 3609

Crew has landed on Optimum-Rex. The planet is habitable for human life. Every crew member except for Megan and Donna became pregnant with alien lifeforms. The aliens have been named Inter-Celestials (ICs). ICs are initially hostile and aggressive, but can be tamed. My IC was terminated upon delivery. Bonnie was killed delivering her IC. There are a total of 6 IC’s. [end of report] MISTY AND BROOKLYN’S CHILDREN were released from their containment and were not aggressive. After their release, the IC’s “Peter” and “Brock” went willingly to a lake with their mothers to finish their transformation. Donna, Ava, Carson and Anita began spending more time together. It is assumed based on the available records that discord continued to rise between Ava and Anita. THE FOLLOWING LETTER, WRITTEN by Anita, was found in her personal belongings. The letter was originally written in Spanish, but has been translated to English. It is unclear if the letter was addressed to a romantic partner, an immediate family member, or close friend. Evidence is limited, and the identity of the individual remains unknown to this day. Marriage was discouraged in high ranking military positions, like the one’s Anita held. There are no known marriage or parentage records associated with Anita. Anita’s parents passed away several years before her mission departure. It is unclear if the individual the letter is addressed to was living or real, or if Anita ever intended to deliver it to anyone. It is assumed the letter was addressed to someone outside of the crew, on Earth. — Editing Team LETTER: ANITA I’m tired of fighting. It’s funny that after all these years of fighting so hard to stay alive, that I’m the one who's going to just end it. Seems kind of stupid when you think about it. I know you don’t want me to talk like this. But I don’t know who else to talk to. You’ve always been it. Even when I pushed you away, you were still there for me. I’m tired. I’m tired of being angry, I’m tired of being mean. I’m tired of hating people. I hate Ava. She’s everything I’ve tried to not become. She’s so naive and self-righteous. So weak and emotional. But she’s happy. She has Carson. All the women have their things now. And they’re happy. And I’m not. I killed mine. That’s all I do. I kill things. That’s all I know how to do. This is the part where you say there’s more to me than that, and I tell you to shut up. I miss you. I love you. My life isn’t the same without you. I’m sorry I never said it when you were around. What I’d give to be able to say it to you now. [end of letter] MISTY: RECOLLECTION: Donna found Anita in her room. She had cut her wrists. She was still alive, but was fading fast. We brought her outside. The only ones there at the time were me and Brooklyn, Ava and Donna, and our children Brock, Carson and Peter. Carson took Anita’s hands. As they looked at each other, you could tell they had begun talking without words. They were doing the mental bridge. After a moment, Anita nodded her head and seemed to give Carson permission to heal her. It became apparent Anita had regretted her decision the moment the fear of death began settling in. But even after being healed, you could see she still didn’t want to live. I think we all overestimated her strength and underestimated her pain. Carson, still holding Anita’s hands in his left, reached out his open palm to Ava. Ava seemed shocked, but placed her hand in his. Carson then joined Anita and Ava’s hands. He held their hands with his and very soon Anita and Ava began to cry. You could tell it was a good kind of cry. We’d all been wanting this for a while now. Through her tears, Ava looked Anita in the eyes, and whimpered out softly, “I’m so sorry.” Anita bowed her head, and said the same back. Carson seemed so calm, powerful and gentle. I looked over at Brock, I could see how this was affecting him. I could tell this was changing him even more to watch Carson. Brooklyn and Peter I’m sure were feeling the same. We were all crying at this point. Anita and Ava hugged and held each other for a long time. Eventually they put out their hands to me and Brooklyn. We all hugged. We were all a mess. It really was so beautiful. Brock and Peter came over to Carson and joined hands with him. I could see he was teaching them. The three of them seemed to just watch us in amazement. AVA: JOURNAL: STORM 30, 3609

Anita’s doing a lot better. I was so blind to her pain. She’s been through a lot. I’m amazed she’s as good as she is after all the horrible things she’s been through. I wish I’d never been so angry. That’s not at all what she needed. Anita and I couldn’t be more different, but now she’s probably the best friend I’ve ever had. She’s a part of me now, we feel so unified. All of us do. Sometimes you don’t realize how fast something can be healed, until it happens. If this can happen for us, if this is what Carson and the others were able to help us do — think of what they could do for the world. Anita brought up our mission today. We all talked about returning to Earth. The thought of it makes us all sick to our stomachs. Life is so beautiful here. But I think we all know we were meant to do more than just find our own happiness. We were all tasked with saving humanity — and now we can. [Ava paused] Anita and I talked about how horrible the world is going to be to our sons. She told me about the CW protocols for if alien life forms came to Earth. They’re going to do everything in their power to try and kill them. But regardless, we have to try. Carson and the other IC’s have made it clear that they want to go and they feel it’s the right thing to go. I think it’s the reason they were sent to us. And who are we to stop them? [end of entry] BLACKBOX DATA: STORM 35, 3609 Ship — Launched 14 lifeforms detected Command — Captain Anita Sonja Marson [end of data] THE CREW UPON ARRIVAL at the wormhole, refrained from entering cryogenic sleep. Shortly after entering the wormhole, Donna became pregnant with an IC. Her uterus had grown back. It is still unclear why Megan never conceived an IC. Donna died from complications with the birth. She refused to be healed by any of the IC’s and asked Anita to care for her son. Anita accepted. Anita cared for the child as it grew in the quarantine chamber with the help of the other women and their sons. Anita named him Rafael. Over time Rafael grew a coat of solid white feathers reminiscent of Anita’s deceased IC infant. IC’s total — in order of birth:

• Carson (Ava’s)
• Donavan (Shawna’s)
• Kenyen (Bonnie/Megan’s)
• Peter (Brooklyn’s)
• Titus (Sarah’s)
• Brock (Misty’s)
• Rafael (Donna/Anita’s)

— Editing Team