When we were younger, Kenji and I would take the train out to the countryside. His aunt worked at a farm, and was close with the family who owned it. Gabriel would take us, because Ms Mochizuki was always too tired to. But we would go every summer to that place near this enormous lake. We would spend every afternoon there swimming. There was a river nearby too, full of trout, and the old man of the farm would teach us how to fish for them, reeling them in with our scraggly arms, the undersides of their bellies white and gleaming in summer sun. Even though they were technically off-limits, we were allowed to play in the fields of canola. They use it to turn into oil, you know, but they didn’t really mind as long as we were careful not to pluck them from their beds. The owners of the farm liked to mix planting different things together- it’s better for the plants and the environment, apparently. I don’t know. I didn’t really care about that back then. I guess I still don’t. All I remember was playing in those fields with Kenji- we’d bring cardboard swords and we’d race each other from one side of the field to the other. His birthday was in August, and we always celebrated at the farm.
When we got older and a little bolder, we’d sneak in some drinks too, with our friends. Kenji had gone to Japan during the spring before his seventeenth birthday, and had fallen in love with shochu. It’s a specific drink that, when made with barley, leaves a smokey aftertaste. He loved it. We managed to order a couple bottles somehow. At the bottom of the barn, on the hard wooden floor, we all sat in a circle and passed the bottles around in the dead of night so that Gabriel or Kenji’s aunt or the owners of the farm couldn’t catch us. I could see the moon through the window. It was a full moon. We had a single candle in the middle of our circle, despite the flammability of the place we were in. And then, when it was five in the morning and dawn was already creeping in, that was when we would finally sleep, all curled together like a litter of kittens.
Gabriel had found us there in the morning, when we didn’t show up to help pluck the newly laid eggs from the hens. We were all still sleeping, and I think he’d been the one to drape the blanket over all of us, too, even if he won’t admit it. When we woke up, we were sent outside to just play instead of doing the farmwork. I’d forgotten it was our last day of summer. Can you believe that? Our last day at the farm before we had to go back to the city, because some of us had flights just two days after. We were all splitting up for university. I don’t think Kenji took it well, the fact that he was the only one staying behind, taking a gap year while working a job so he could get his life in order. He wanted to save some money so that he could attend school while still taking care of his mother. I should have stayed, back then. I should have cancelled my flight, applied somewhere else, and just stayed. I never should have left him.
When August came around, that first week of the sweltering month, Anik bought himself some flowers. Yellow and white, wrapped in a bouquet with a lace ribbon, made with the gentle hands of the old lady at the flower shop. Percy lingered behind him, hands in his sagging jeans, crop top riding dangerously high when he stretched his arms. He was waiting for Anik. He’d said today was supposed to be a good day, so he was going to buy flowers.
“I can pay for ‘em,” Percy offered, but Anik waved him off. “They’re not really for me,” he said.
“Then who are they for?”
Anik’s smile is soft and sunny like springtime after a long, cold winter. “A friend of mine.”
They walked back to the apartment together. Percy sees two out of the three moles displayed on Anik’s face; one on the corner of his right eye, the other on his neck, little dots shaped like hearts. Perhaps they look like that because love just seems to overflow out of him, bubbling like a never ending stream. Percy’s hand twitches with the urge to kiss each of them, and learn where the rest of his moles lie.
The summer breeze is cool against Percy’s skin. It’s nice- the first wind they’ve had in days. It sweeps past his hair and between the strands; it ruffles Anik’s buttoned shirt; petals shake and a few come loose, drifting away behind them as they cross between roads. He was glad to see Anik so happy, at least: he’d been somewhat off this whole summer. Withdrawn, quieter than usual. His eyebags got darker and deeper and it looked like he’d lost weight as well. Truthfully, it had frightened Percy a little bit. He recalled something that Deja had shared with him a year back-- after Anik returned from Canada during their first year, he had refused to eat. He would sleep the whole day, leaving only to use the restroom. Percy had feared Anik would slip back into that once more, but it seemed everything was okay. It was as though a weight was lifted from his shoulders, and he was finally at peace.
When they arrive home, Anik places the flowers in a vase, turning it around to face the window, so they could soak up the sun. He plucks something from the middle of the arrangement: small and soft pink. Percy can only watch as Anik tucks the flower behind his ear. He smiles.
“There. It suits you.”
Percy laughs. “You’re in a… really good mood today,” he notes.
Anik hums. “Yeah, well. I told myself I’d try to have a good day today.”
(Percy will see it days later, a mark on the calendar. August 8th circled in bright red marker, labled: Kenji’s Birthday in capital letters and a little flower doodle in purple pen beside it, presumably from Cameron. And Percy will make his way to Anik’s room, where the boy in question is at the table, organizing papers. And Percy will wrap his arms around Anik’s back, his face between his shoulder blades, torso pulled tight against his.
“What’s this about?” Anik sounds amused by Percy’s suddenly clingy behaviour.
“Nothing. I dunno. I’m just happy that you’re happy.”
I’m in a lore spilling mood and this needs to be done at some point so now is good. Better buckle up bc idk how long this is gonna be and I don’t even know what exactly I’ll go into. (Little warning for some violence) So without further ado, please enjoy the story of
The Orion Initiative
-Season One:
This is the story of four teens who all find themselves in alien hunting program- the Orion Initiative. They, among many others, apply for this opportunity and are accepted to receive their training and employment on the Orion’s spaceship. These four meet and come together as friends as they discover the more sinister side to this program in an episodic format (that quietly sets up the “big problem” in the background). Let’s meet the cast.
Megan
Megan had grown up on this spaceship, specifically in the area dedicated to scientific research. She was part of the research after all. Megan didn’t know what exactly had been done to her over the years, but she knew she was different. It was hard to compare herself to other people though since this ship and the people on it were all she’d known. Well, it was all she knew until the program began. Megan watched from afar for a few years as strangers came to live on the ship. She didn’t get too many opportunities to interact with them, nor was she allowed to, but she didn’t mind. Just to observe was enough. But one year, when the next wave of trainees flooded the halls and she watched them bumble about excitedly while getting her enhancements, one of the scientists told her the news. She would be joining the program this year. Megan was admittedly very nervous. She had alarmingly little information about this program despite her proximity to it, and she would be thrust into the midst of these strangers. Regardless of her thoughts about it, it was happening. Her few belongings were moved into a new room she would share with another girl, who looked like she could be her own age. The other girl looked up and walked over quickly, sticking her hand out in front of her. “Hi, I’m Zelda! I guess, we’re roommates?” Megan wasn’t sure what to think at first; this girl seemed strange and different, but not bad. Later, Zelda gave her a knotted bracelet. It had meant that they were friends, she told her. Megan didn’t take it off.
Zelda
Zelda had it all going for her. She was about to finish high school with a 4.0 GPA, the had a group of friends and family that loved her, and she was lined up to go to her dream college on a scholarship. So why didn’t it feel right? She’d been preparing for this moment for so long, but it felt like something was missing, like she should be doing something more. That was when she discovered something- the Orion Initiative, an elite program where she could live in space and be professional trained to hunt aliens. That definitely sounded better than going to a stale college for the next few years. Besides, this program was training and a guaranteed job with compensated room and board. It was literally the total package. And if she ended up hating it, college would still be there… After rearranging her plans, Zelda was soon packed and saying her goodbyes to her friends and family. She would miss them, but it was time she did something exciting with her life. After arriving and setting up her things in her room, she met her new roommate. Her roommate seemed a little closed off at first, but after gifting her a friendship bracelet, they seemed to click. Plus, when she was going around and meeting some other new recruits her age, she met a guy who was really cute. As it turned out, he and his friend’s room were in the same hallway as hers. This was going to be great.
Xander
Xander had a job to do. He had been researching this program for years, but the internet didn’t hold much about it. The Orion Initiative- the website vaguely described it as a program that would train and employ its applicants to hunt the aliens that could pose a threat to earth. It was advertised as completely voluntary, you can drop out at any time, you can always stay in touch with your loved ones. But if that was the case, then why did his brother just disappear? There had been nothing from him since he left. Xander had texted and called him everyday, but the phone didn’t even ring. His mom said that he was probably just distracted and busy with his new work, but she was one to talk. She was always busy and distracted; it would be hard for her to really realize something was wrong with this. So now, he had a job to do. His mom thought she was seeing him off to the airport as he flew to his university, but that wasn’t exactly true. He hoped she wouldn’t have to find out what was happening, that it was all just a misunderstanding and his brother just didn’t have service. Maybe he could really go to university one day. But not now. Xander was cautious and observant as he navigated the spacecraft. In any other circumstance, it might’ve been pretty cool. He asked around about his brother (“Do you know Jake Lee?”), but everyone there was new like him. He met a few people, like his roommate and girl who seemed really sweet, but he could still sense that something was off about this place. And he was going to figure it out.
Anik
Anik needed to get out. He was sick of everything. Sick of school. Sick of his parents. He just needed to get away. He needed to do something to get his mind off of things; he needed some control over his life. He had been scrolling on his phone when he was given a strange ad, boasting a great program where applicants could be trained to hunt aliens? Anik was intrigued. The website didn’t say many specifics, but it completely covered training and living costs? This was perfect. Anik would practically be paid to do dangerous stuff, and his parents might finally get off his back about his plans for the future. It was almost too good to be true. He was definitely doing this. After a little while of preparing everything, he was off to this program. He arrived and put his things in his room, where he met his roommate. The guy was pretty chill, but he did seem to be looking for some guy named Jake. He was a little preoccupied in Anik’s opinion since they were on a literal spaceship, but he didn’t care too much. He and Xander went to meet people soon after, and Anik had to hold himself back from cringing when they met this one girl. By the way those two were looking at each other, he could tell they would definitely be seeing her again. After quietly backing out of that conversation, he made his way around to some other people- he wanted to know what exactly they would be doing for this training. No one he found knew though, since they were all new. He guessed that the people who had already been through training must be in a different location. It didn’t really matter too much to him though. This was the start of the coolest thing he’d done in his life, and he was gonna make it count.
After coming together, the gang will go on to partake in little adventures as they learn life lessons and grow their relationships with one another. Zelda becomes the self-appointed leader of the group with her confident and competent nature and her ability to think quickly. Megan feels sort of out of place within the group and usually just follows Zelda around and lets her do the decision making. Xander is a sort of instigator who will pull the team into investigating certain situations, but will always be quick to help whenever they need it. Anik feels uncomfortable in the group dynamic but eventually comes to find his place as the heart and protector of the team. The leader of this program (who Megan knew as a sort of mother) often interacts with them specifically, giving them their missions and seeing to their concerns.
In one of the very important plot episodes, the team is training. The training takes place in a closed and monitored forest environment on one of the planets that’s used to test before field work. Somehow, a strange alien makes it into the training area where it’s not supposed to be. The team is able to exterminate it and move on. Soon after, Megan (the one in closest contact with it) begins to feel and act strange. The other three become worried as she becomes more animalistic and aggressive. This comes to a head when Megan’s eyes turn completely dark and begin leaking a dark liquid. Her mouth begins to foam and her breathing technology is damaged, but she attacks them and runs away. The team tries to get out but everything is locked down. They are trapped in the training area with their friend who seems to be infected by some exposure to an alien and is now trying to kill them. The rest of the episode depicts them waiting for the doors to open as they try to escape. First, she emerges from the shadows and slams Anik against the ground, effectively knocking him out. The other two begin to run as they hear but don’t see Megan in the plants around them. Next Megan knocks Zelda to the ground and throws several punches, but Zelda is able to fend her off with some of their equipment. Megan retreats momentarily before rushing Zelda from behind and knocking her down as she jumps for Xander. He puts up a fight as she pins him to the ground and, with a sickening crunch, rips his arm completely from its socket. Zelda runs back at this time and, although she doesn’t want to harm her friend, it’s past that. She shoots her in the leg causes Megan to run back into the darkness. It only takes a few minutes before the doors finally open and the three are rushed to the medical wing. They also tell the people about Megan, who is still in the environment and acting murderous. The people say they will take care of it. After a few hours, Megan comes to in the middle of a dark forest. Her breathing technology is broken, making her breaths very shallow and difficult. She’s covered in blood and a human arm lies in her lap. She’s there until morning, when she is found and taken to a lab. They said that the cause of the episode was due to the exposure to the strange alien. Even though she wasn’t in control of her actions, the whole team is uneasy about the experience and the relationships become slightly strained.
Subtly in each episode, the main plot is set up. The Orion Initiative, though claiming its purpose is to protect earth from aliens with a force of hunters, really is using the hunters in order to further their research. They need to stay in an alien infested place and because of this are vulnerable. These volunteers are sent out to “protect” the ship, but if they can’t, the aliens will be satisfied with a payment. There have been many different experiments to potentially enhance their hunters, so that they don’t have to lose so many people. Not many have been successful, although Megan is one of the few. The alien that got into the training area was planted there as an experiment.
In the season finale, the extent of the program’s villainy is discovered. After the gang confronts the program leader about, she explains the situation. She tells them about what’s really been happening (conveniently leaving out how many people have been killed thus far) but claims that they’ve only been researching in order to discover new methods of human mutation. If they can combine aliens and human dna, civilizations in space could be possible and utilized. They accept this answer at first, but the adventure of the episode leads them to the discovery of the death logs and failed experiments. As they look through the dark lab, they discover foggy glass capsules. A light switches on and they make a horrifying discovery. They are met face to face with the horribly mutated and disfigured face of Xander’s brother. Xander is horrified and despondent as they find more information about how they were failed experiments and a list of potential subjects that would be next. This causes panic. This program wasnt for helping people, it was for collecting canon fodder and voluntary subjects. They spread the news to the rest of the trainees and plan to make their escape by taking a smaller ship back to earth. Among the members of the main four, things grow more tense as Xander, arguably the most deeply affected by this, lashes out at Megan. He claimed she knew this whole time and had been helping them; that’s why she ripped off his arm. His brother was a freak human experiment who got killed because of her. Megan tried to defend herself but was uncertain. She always had listened to the program after all, and she did hurt her friends. Zelda almost couldn’t believe it. She wouldn’t think Megan would do that, but she’s practically admitting to it. “You really helped them do all of this?” she asked. Anik comes to her defense, reminding them that she wasn’t in her right mind when it happened, asking Megan if she wanted to help the program. She shook her head. “See?” he said. “She wouldn’t do it if she had a choice. We need to focus on getting out of here, not on this.” They all agree to put it aside for the moment and go on with their plan. After some interference with technology, they managed to cut some power and get everyone to the evacuation ship. As they’re running and get to the boundary between the main ship and the escape ship, Megan gets caught on an invisible barrier. She can’t cross over onto the ship. The others don’t notice until they begin to close things off. They realize that she’s stuck, but security begins to come towards the escape ship. There isn’t enough time. Zelda has to make a decision. She decides to prioritize the people on the ship and close the doors on Megan. She and Xander aren’t happy about it, but realize it has to be done. Anik can’t believe it and is shocked, telling her to stop the doors. She reasons that it’s too late for Megan. Anik runs at the closing doors and slides through at the last second, making it to Megan as the security closed in around them.
Nyehehe that was season one :D I’m gonna reblogged it with season two bc boy did it get lengthy. I wrote this out mainly bc I wanna make out of chronological order art and I needed to give yall context ^^ just gonna tag you here bud @banana-pancake5 :)
It was the first day of our introduction,
we were in a shooting.
#mahtim_sakib is not a bad person.
Even though we have been friends for a few years now,
it seems like a few days ago we sang together for the
first time!
#anik_alvin #the_anonymizer #MahtimSakib
