All I remember of the outside world now is I was once innocent before they came. That innocence was the only history I had left as a memory.
My principal, a priest of the Roman Catholic Church despite wearing his white cassock was not taken notice of; we were all gripped with fear. It would take God’s intervention for our deliverance.
The commander broke the silence and ended the suspense. He asked the most unexpected question, the answer which he claim will save us the trouble if we can provide him with the lamb of sacrifice he needs that is, a scape-goat with a unique and distinct character in the school. Hearing this our eyes began to scan ourselves for the self professed smart ones, but got the shocker when he demanded for the dumbest and laziest in the school. We all could not hold off the amusement of that hilarious question as the whole gathering except our captors burst into a tumultuous laughter but it was short-lived when the commander’s voice echoed with unrepentant horror; I will not repeat myself again.
The verdict had long before this night been passed, there was no need to look through the crowd for the whole school knew just the right person for this prestigious recognition even I, know it was ME! I was the dumbest and school-professed laziest kid in the all-boys citadel of learning, St. Francis of Assisi College.
When others were recognized for good grades by the school and awarded prizes at prize giving day, I’m being nominated for a death sentence because I’m not smart. Fear, sadness, and embarrassment filled my soul as the whole assembly gave me up as a lamb led to the slaughter, without beauty and majesty I walked to the commander whose eye bore no empathy or compassion towards me at all.
Who would I blame for my predicament, would anyone had plead my cause---NO! The picture of my parent and siblings sad faces was engraved in my soul, how would they survive this? Forever the name Oteke Brown would be struck out from the book of the living. I was taken never to return.
Wakey! Wakey!! Sergeants y’all report to the common room ASAP. It dawned on me I was having my regular dream, the memory of the night I was taken still haunts me. Other sergeants from various part of Nigeria who were taken like me were all in the common room waiting for our order. We were no longer the dumb ass teenagers chosen for not being smart. We are what we are now-----SUPER HUMANS. I am Sergeant Oteke Brown Code Alpha, Emerald, Ouroboros (A.E.O) 1646.
Chosen to prove something to the world, what that is I don’t know. However, for dull and lazy teenagers to be taken and made into what we are today, defies the logic of human reasoning.
My comrades and I were products of a military scientific experiment, with intelligence above a human genius reasoning capacity of 130 IQ, high speed and one hundred percent accuracy far more than an average genius could dream of. I am proud of what I have become; when I look myself in the mirror, I see perfection. My regret were the fact that since we came into this facility we have not been given the luxury of seeing the golden morning sun rise or stare at the sea of silver stars in the night skies, the buzzing of the spring flies or the chirping of birds, I miss nature’s touch. We have been cut off from the world and its time, and not fraternizing with anything or anyone outside the comfort of the common room. No windows, no doors that we know of and it’s just like a prison but with comfort and a sense of purpose yet I long for the forbidden fruit-----Natures touch.
The other sergeants have come to terms with their fate but not me. I feel stuck as if in a prison without hope for a parole. Aye gentlemen the voice of the facility commandant brought my thought back to reality----I want to see you all become Adam for today’s physical examination the commander ordered in a stern voice but with a humorous demeanour as we complied immediately by taking off every piece of our clothing standing stark naked as we were examined. We stood like the gladiators of Rome being examined before going into the arena, my muscles shot out like a fallen meteorite from outer space, my chest hardening like that of my hero Hercules and my packs were perfect as if made with the golden dust of Olympus. However, in all I still feel empty because it’s useless if there is none to admire these built except me.
We have worked so hard trying to be mentally and physically fit to meet the purpose of our being here. We know there is a higher purpose but we have not been told a word about it since we arrived as teenagers, now even without a calendar or watch I know I am no more a teenager yet all these years of training we have not been found worthy of the mission we were chosen for? Why bother I’m already dead to my loved ones.
We were all in the common room after the first physical drill taking our mental simulation with different kind of mind enhancement technologies; my favourite is the near life simulation video game because it’s enlightening and fun. I jumped to my feet together with other sergeants as the bugle sounded this means we are being called to attention for an important information and instruction. We stood at attention awaiting the instruction or information when the three august visitors walked in, I saw him. I felt lost not knowing if to punch him in the face or hug him-----I mean for Goodness sake he recruited me. He looked unrepentant, as he was when we first met still looking stern as ever without a trace of smile. His military attire was threateningly beautiful and nicely fitted, his camouflage was well starched and neatly pressed with razored gator on the trousers, and the black jackboot was shiny as if a mirror reflecting the light of a fluorescent. He was like an apparition standing with his velvet-green military beret and his red rank of five silver stars, it dawned on me that he is a five star General of the Nigerian army. The unceremonious entrance he led to my school was actually a covert operation that would never be traced to the military hence ensuring a plausible deniability.
The second guest is also smart but younger than the General was and less sternly looked; he is a lieutenant General and part of the recruiters. The third is our host and scientist in charge of the experiment and we rarely see him unlike the other scientist but he is the brain behind the progress we have made so far. He looks so unkempt in his lab coat and his hair uncombed-----his reputation precedes him, no shoe on his feet and there is no difference between Dr. T and Albert Einstein. Dr. T was an opposite of the two uniformed men; this trio as far as our stay and the military are concerned were legends.
While we wait for the address, a sudden flash of enlightenment came on me. We were being made into the image of these trio, with the intelligence of Dr. T and the sophistication of the military in war and combat we will be invincible and unstoppable, a slyly smile crossed my face as I received this new wisdom in thought.
Written by : Oyomesi Emmanuel ojobo.
watch out for the part two(2)
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