Dec 1910
A group of archeologists discovered the well preserved body of a man somewhere deep within the vast rain forests of Colonial West Africa. To their shock, closer study affirmed that the man wasn’t dead but slumbered instead.
A secret group of scientists financed by the British royal African trade company was gathered together to unravel this oddity that defiled everything they had ever known, poking and prodding him with tests regardless of the consequences as as a result, they are responsible for the production of marvelous advancements in technology and medicine that far precedes our current age.
But concerns are being considered as illegal inhuman children are being birthed from his blood samples and cells that may yet endangers us all, because the locals believed the slumbering anomaly to be one of their principal deities and believes him to awaken eventually and with him the consequences of our actions.
Report by lord Rawlings Hidden to the house of lords and the house of commons, palace of Westminster.
London.
May.2050The nightmare woke her again, she groaned as she stirred lazily to check the digital alarm clock beside her colt. It was 4am, she groaned again. Drilling starts by 5 and she knew there was no chance to steal a little bit more sleep, she lay back down to ponder over her constant dreams, dreams which she had begun to get used to that she didn’t wake up screaming in terror anymore, it had always been the same nightmare every night, the blood curdling screams of a tortured man, flashes of lights and the grim goggled faces of people in long white coats.She had been trying valiantly to bare it all in silence, but the constant bouts of sleepless nights were already telling on her performances at the daily drills, if there was somebody to talk to, she would have done that already but the fear of being taken back to the lab, prodded, injected by the painful probes to find out any malfunctioning in her system had kept her lips sealed.
The 5th generation children were created and bred in the institute. A group of abnormally enhanced children drilled daily to harness their abilities.Winged and agile, strong and deadly, they were weapons trained since they could walk. Rumored to have been a bastardization of numerous genes and human embryos placed into human women to develop.Penniless and at desperate times, they had been approached by the institute where they were cared for until they were relieved of their bundles of joy and then moved on with their lives, well compensated and acclaimed to have contributed to the glory of science, or so they said.The surviving children were seven in number, the remains of numerous casualties; after series of trials and experiments.Logan was the eldest, it was when his wings became strong enough for flight that he began to manifest other powers, and then the D.R.E.G.S began to pay the children more attention th
An intended cough brought them all back to attention, the drill instructor Fortuna Monroe frowned down her nose at them arms akimbo; her long hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Her face would have been pretty if it wasn’t scrunched in a permanent scowl; the children disliked her, she mutually felt the same towards them and made it her priority in life to make their life miserable.Without further ceremony she barked orders at the children, as they were placed under the supervision of instructors who in turn were watched by her sharp eyes.Orchid’s trainers were having a difficult time putting her under control until Fortuna had no choice but to take over her drill in person.Orchid’s lithe fragile looking body and slim snow colored wings gave her an innocent appearance of perpetual harmlessness like her name.“Looks can be deceiving, look at Orchid” was the constant gossip among the facility’s staff.Sh
What is the meaning of this?A very familiar voice changed the mood in the training room with the speed of light, the very voice feared by everything and everyone in the institute. Doctor Mugabe the institute head scientist walked in followed by Logan and a few of his colleagues in tow.The crowd moved back respectfully as he walked slowly towards the scene, hands folded calmly behind him as Logan rushed forward to heal the twins, hands glowing with electric current.“What is the meaning of this Miss Monroe?’’ Doctor Mugabe asked again, his voice cutting through the dead silence, filled only with the occasional sparks from Logan’s powers as he healed the second twin. “Can you not carry out your simple duty without bringing the whole institute down on us eh.’’“But professor,’’ Fortuna started.“Miss Monroe, there’s a reason you were hired to be a drill instructor, to make sure the combat exercises doesn’t blow
I groaned as I dreamt, the mortal pain from which had I fled followed me into the world of dreams, gods do not dream. We simply used it as tools to commune with men, manipulating their present, past and future, but sometimes we retreat to these fascinating realms in mockery of slumber, to garner rest and grow strength.I fled there often to escape my anguish during my captivity. But now I dreamt of my youth, long before I became a deity; a Yoruba warrior prince of the old Oyo Empire, I was the youngest son, the eldest; Eweka, ruled as the Oba of the kingdom of Benin, the second; my older half-brother Ajaka, was crown prince of Oyo, shackled by duties of state, watched me with jealousy as I gamboled round the empire and beyond, carefree and wild, the parties and dances were where you would find me.I was not far from skirmishes, conflicts and adventures, the duties of a prince were the least of my problems, that burden was for another. When our fathe
A sleek black carriage pulled up at Westminster alleyway, the door of the carriage opened and it's occupant, a gentleman step down into the cold English morning, he waved a dismissive hand towards the manservant hurrying to his aid.His red jacket inlaid with polished brass buttons introduced him as an officer in the imperial army. He moved briskly up the stairs to the manor to the already opened door where he was ushered in by a tall smartly dressed butler."Lord Rawlings is expecting you captain." He said, The captain's grunted in reply and allowed himself to be led down the hallway towards the manor lord's study where a portly elderly man sat waiting."Captain luggard, please have a sit" he coughed over his pipe smoke as the young captain saluted. "My apologies for summoning you in such short notice my boy but i see the need to see you before you sail from our shores, I do hope you are looking forward to your assignment." Lord Ra
Obiora returned to drills after a week in the labs, pale and spent but happy to be once more united with his siblings, the 5th generation children were allowed to eat and be together for a few hours thrice a week, asides that they only saw one another at drills and classes where they were taught by grizzled old professors and learnt different languages under the watchful eyes of their handlers.Omotola’s handler, Katie was kind to her and sometimes told her about her own life outside the institute which was against protocol; Amaka, Babybaby’s handler adored her and spoilt her terribly. The rest of the handlers took their jobs quite seriously and Katie once said they feared the children and their abilities but feared the institute more; she would expertly change the discussion to new topics whenever she tried to get her to talk about the institute.It was after Obiora’s porcupine stunt that the doctors began wondering if they could force the children t
After waiting for two hours into the night which felt like days, Omotola was beginning to doubt whether she got Shettima’s message right and when she was about calling it a night a sound made her jump.The electricity in her wings flashed defensively, by their lights she watched in fascination as Shettima stepped out from a shadowed corner of her cubicle, his charcoal colored wings spread around him like a cloak. Omotola grinned in greeting. He smiled back then moved around checking out the room.“I thought you wouldn’t get my message’’ he whispered, took me a while to find where you sleep, I stumbled into Orchid’s cubicle while she was shaving her legs, her room so pink and bright I could barely find a dark place big enough to escape with.’’ he made a puking face and gave another rare smile as Omotola chuckled."What took you so long?"“My own cubicle has been renovated with bright fluorescents lights to stop me le
It was morning by the time doctor Chisom finished her story, the rest of the siblings save for Babybaby met them in the middle of the story telling and had joined in to listen.“You now see why I reacted that way when I first knew who you really were back in my office,” the high priestess address the youths with a grave voice. “In every age that a child of Shango was born in, Chaos was sure to follow, and in my era, there are six of you, actually there seem to be more of you out there somewhere.”They all looked up at this, mutual expressions of bemusement on each of their faces as they exchanged looks, Shettima was the first to speak up to voice out their collective thoughts. “what do you mean by more of us doctor, expect for perhaps Logan who we aren't even sure if he's still alive or not, we are all that is left of the 5th generation, the older ones died of overload.”“Presumably so because that might be what they've
From then on, the spirit of rebellion and independence began to spread throughout the kingdom. Prince Adebo was placed on the throne with the nominal title of King, but without the authority and power of a King. It was his misfortune to have come to the throne at such a time, and he held the scepter for only 130 days. Afonja the Kakanfo of Ilorin and Opele the Duke of Gbogun were the first to proclaim their independence, other chiefs soon followed their examples. This was the commencement of the break-up of the unity of the Yoruba kingdoms, and the beginning of the tribal independence. Tribute was no longer paid to the emperor, the throne’s messengers and courtiers no longer carried that dread as before, nor were they allowed to oppress people or enrich themselves with their goods as before.As the emperor's authority waned, so also the respect and deference previously paid to the citizens of the capital ceased; they were even treated disrespectfully and became the subj
She laid back, long after she had woken up, but she was not ready to open her eyes yet as she gathered her thoughts, her real body felt fragile compared to the warrior prince whom body she had shared in her dream. He was proud, powerful and had no single outa of the fear and the uncertainty that was her own reality. With a sigh she sat up to glance around the room she was sharing with Binta, it was just the second day since doctor Chisom had taken them to her home while they wait for Amadioha’s return.The high priestess/doctor was a kind host even if aloof and unpredictable with the way her personalities fluctuates at times, she lived in a large and comfortable building in the private senior lecturers quarters on the university campus ground, dropping them in to settle down while she had pretty much left them to their own device since. Omotola forced her body out of bed to see if she could find some leftovers from the large refrigerator, she had slept rather early, lon
Shortly after Olobiri’s second challenge that morning, he rounded it up by pulling down his under cloths and defecated on a Ivie branch, the emblem of Arualan’s office in the presence of the entire Benin army, an insult to his person, bringing an outcry of outrage from a hundred thousand mouths, in a blind rage, Ise had charged him unarmored and was quickly followed by the members of his age sect, not daunted; Olobiri had calmly wiped himself with the leaves, and arranged his cloths before Ise had covered the distance, stooped calmly under the sword meant for his head, grabbed hold of Ise’s midribs, broke a rib and stabbed it upward toward his heart, the poor boy had died on the spot.It had happened so fast; his sect members took it as an act of Juju sorcery and had beat a hasty retreat without bothering to retrieve his corpse.“Your boy was a fool of fools Ologboshere Obosa, Iyase Ekpengba sneered, ‘’now his bleached skull has been
Omotola felt herself once again being carried across a dusky sky on strong hardy wings, but the wings were not her own, it belonged to a white-backed vulture, she was the vulture and yet not the vulture, she felt like she was just sharing passage, just an observer and not the one behind the wheel. she soared effortlessly on; her keen gaze swept over the West African savannah below, missing nothing.A herd of gazelles leapt across the Omehrvon River, she had no idea how she came to know the river’s name but still she knew. Her host’s keen eyes watched as each herbivore tried to outleap its companion in a vain show of virility. It was mid rainy season, with plenty of supple grassland to graze on. The herd was strong and its calves healthy. A weak or ill stray for it to stalk was less likely as its gaze sought out other prey, the belly of the vulture; whose body she was currently habituating rumbled in anticipation at the thought.Next, she saw a pride of lion
Russell’s journalDec 24, 1887.It's Christmas Eve, but the festive atmosphere that was supposed to come with the spirit of yuletide is lacking, replaced instead by fear and uncertainty.Another moment of respite has allowed me a bit space to continue writing, not since the last time our sojourn had gotten more perilous, and the split between the factions that made up our party had only gotten so much worse that I am beginning to doubt if we still have the same goals or still looking for the same thing, we’d only stopped just to eat and to get some sleep.The native porters and trackers had already fled as soon as the intent was known that we were expected to enter into the sacred groove, now we spent the better part of our precious times hurling and dragging our own baggage’s behind us instead of spending it in research. Now here we are, at the mercy of the sponsor’s personal trackers and his band of unruly mercenaries.Qui
Amadioha led them through a narrow passage from the back-office corridor and stopped before a large door, he muttered a few words under his breathe before opening the door to a serene environment, a stark difference to the rowdiness they’d left behind in Onitsha market.The siblings filed out the office door as they gazed around in wonder, they knew that they are no longer in the city of Onitsha, the enormous billboard hanging in the distance informed them that they were within the campus ground of the university of Nigeria, Nsukka. The Igbo deity led them briskly down the campus walkway as they took in the sights and impressive faculty buildings, one of their professors from the institute claimed to have been from the university, like everything they’d known, their knowledge of the famous university had been from hearsay and video clips.Amadioha strolled unconcerned on through the bustle of students and other academics, it was as if they were invisible to
The light led them on to the edge of the Onitsha market just as they were sighted by another party of their pursuers. Ducking quickly into the crowded market in the hope of shaking them off among the bustle, the glimmer of light seems to pulse brighter as they drew nearer, leading them onward through the cloth merchants shops, down an alley and then to the electronic storefronts of the market where it finally settled on one of its buildings where a man stood waiting as if he was expecting them.At first, they stood unsure of their next move just as they heard the shout of the Askari guards ordering people to clear from their path. In Panick they quickened their paces until they had moved within hearing distance of the man who halted them in their tracks with a commanding voice. On closer inspection, he looked middle aged, portly and jovial looking but at that moment, his cloudy face was not looking welcoming.“I’ve been waiting for whoever’s responsib
The Askaris skidded to a stop in unison as they warily appraised their targets in defensive stances; they drew stun rods instead of the large guns strapped behind them, a safe bet that the children were still wanted in one piece; the harsh breathing from the Elite Askaris helmets visor was the thing betraying their rigid postures. One of the Askaris stepped forward as he reached up to his helmet, the tinted visor slid up with a hiss to expose his grinning face. The siblings started in recognition.It was Miguel; one of the Brazilian twins, the sparring pair at the institute drill hall. They were last seen right after Obiora had injured the both of them when his flaming feathers manifested.“You,” Obiora snarled, his long-buried resentment for his old tormentor curled up his throat.“Hello to you too amigo, still yet to have that fiery temper of yours under control?” Miguel chuckled, “I’m a little hurt my friend, you don’