Rise of the Arockalypse (Second Lordi Saga - Story 3)

Chapter 5 - Evolution or Damnation?

Forest near Oakville, Canada

SRDO base

In the evening, when dusk had fallen for a few minutes and the groups of guards were preparing in the courtyard for the usual night patrols, Ben had brought Sarah back to their private apartment, located on the top floor of the main building. While still unconscious after the magical effort, Sarah had been taken to the base infirmary to undergo several medical examinations, but fortunately, apart from a very heavy expenditure of energy, nothing serious had been detected in her body.

Now awake, the teenager was sitting on her bed, dressed in her nightgown and her blanket over her shoulders for warmth. As she watched the snowflakes fall outside, Ben came over to her, bringing her a mug containing hot chocolate.

_"Here, sweetheart, drink, it will do you good." he said, handing her the steaming cup.

Sarah thanked her father silently and took a small sip of the warm, pleasant brew. She winced though, a slight headache having taken hold of her skull moments earlier. Ben checked that she didn't have a fever.

_ "Look, Sarah... Maybe you should stop practicing for a few days. Look at yourself. You're tired all the time, and that worries me."

_ "I can't, dad..." she replied. "I've progressed so much in these three years, I can't stop now. Since harnessing these powers on my own, I finally feel like myself."

Ben still had trouble realizing that his daughter spoke like that, he who had always known her with this autism that had left her stuck in a wheelchair. But in the end, this severe autism was only a surface manifestation of her exceptional gifts.

_ "Sarah... You don't need these powers to feel alive." said Ben. "You can be whoever you want, with or without powers."

Thanks to her empathic abilities, Sarah was able to sense and sense the emotions of people near her, and this was the case for her father.

_ "You say that because of the other children in the world, born with powers? I know what you're thinking, dad. You think I wouldn't be able to be happy in this world as a meta-human."

Ben sighed, rubbing his hand over his face and taking a few steps into the bedroom before answering.

_"If you imagine that I blame monsters, you are wrong, but you have seen the situation well... Of course I am worried and scared to death at the idea that my daughter must live in a world where she will be perceived and persecuted as a monster... Mankind was not ready to accept monsters in its world, nor will it be for humans endowed with powers."

_ "If they can't accept us, that's their problem." Sarah got angry. "We owe them nothing. Humans have forgotten that evolution is part of life. All they do by rejecting this evolution is dooming the future to death!"

_ "So, what do you want to do? You can't force all humans to evolve like this." Ben added.

_"I'm not saying force, dad..." breathed Sarah, tired. "I'm just asking to be accepted for who we are. Is it really that hard to ask for a chance to live like we are?"

**********

Meanwhile...

Fearing neither the dark night nor the winter cold, Awa and Ox had decided to walk a little as a couple in the forest. Like the others, they had been made aware of the incident with Mr. Lordi, Emily and the two hunters earlier in the day, and would therefore be more cautious in the future. But as they walked holding hands, another topic occupied the couple.

_"I heard that young Sarah has made progress." said Ox. "That's awesome. You must be proud to be the very first teacher to one of the first meta-humans."