It was around forty years before the collapse of Sapey. The Business Sector had become incredibly rich and powerful. Eleven of the twelve governors were affiliated to the Business Sector. The income of the average Sapien was also significantly improving, but this was mostly because of the longer sustained working hours. Sapiens were lured by the lifestyle offered by acquiring new ‘privileges’. To maintain this lifestyle, they needed to keep working. Expiry dates on tokens had been reduced, and ‘rights’ were not increasing to keep pace with rising standards of living.
Jordan and Jennifer were ambitious Sapiens. They had climbed to the upper management level of the Sapien Loop Transport Company. They had recently moved to the Capital Region to work out of the main office. They had two children named Maggie and Lola. Maggie was seven years old, and Lola was only two.
Success for Sapiens came with hidden dangers. Sapiens were rarely allowed to reach above upper middle management. If they became too successful, they were usually replaced by suitable Linap. This was not too difficult considering the Linap’s ability to shapeshift. The Linap were obsessed with maintaining power and control over Sapey. Most Linap believed that if Sapiens gained positions of power, they would expose the Linap. They believed this would lead to revolution and the potential destruction of the Linap species. Jordan and Jennifer were now on the list to be replaced.
It was late in the evening. Jordan and Jennifer had just returned home from the company’s annual dinner. They were both in the lounge of their apartment.
‘What a night!’ said Jordan as he pulled his tie off.
‘Indeed!’ replied Jennifer. ‘We are the number one couple in the company. I could feel the jealous eyes on us when we both won the annual achievement award.’
‘We worked our way up from the ticket office in Adoy,’ added Jordan. ‘The others on our table were gifted positions because of family connections.’
‘We’ve done the hard work, and we have proven we have what it takes to succeed,’ said Jennifer as she rubbed Jordan’s chest. ‘It’s just a matter of time before we’ll be rewarded with part ownership. Then we can clean out the freeloaders.’
Then they both heard a sound coming from the kitchen.
A worried look came over Jennifer’s face.
‘Don’t worry; I bet it’s just Maggie,’ chuckled Jordan. ‘Stay here! I’ll take a look.’
Jordan entered the kitchen. He switched the light on, but he could not see anyone. He walked around the island. On the other side, he saw a plastic container lying on the floor. He shook his head and then picked it up.
‘Nothing to worry about,’ called out Jordan as he walked back into the lounge. To his shock, Jennifer was lying on the ground gasping for air. He rushed over to help her, but then he felt a tightening in his chest. The pain quickly intensified. He desperately gasped for breath as he lay next to Jennifer.
Two figures became visible. One of them was a male named Clyde, and the other a female named Candice. Clyde shapeshifted into Jordan, and Candice into Jennifer.
‘Would you like to check on the children, honey?’ asked Clyde.
‘It’ll be my pleasure,’ replied Candice.
Candice entered the children’s room. However, Maggie’s bed was empty, and so was Lola’s crib. She rushed back into the lounge.
‘We must make sure they don’t escape,’ Candice said to Clyde.
‘Don’t worry, they’re in here somewhere,’ he said to her calmly. ‘They heard them in the kitchen just now. Take a look. I’ll hang around here and watch these two.’
Jordan and Jennifer were still desperately gasping for air.
Candice rushed into the kitchen. She began opening cupboards to see if they were hiding.
Suddenly, sirens could be heard from the main road. Clyde walked over to the window. It was the emergency services and the enforcers. They were heading into the building.
‘We need to flee,’ he shouted. ‘We have company.’
‘What are we supposed to do with them?’ asked Candice. ‘We’ve completely botched this.’
Clyde rushed out the door, and she followed immediately behind. They both became invisible.
Seconds later, the enforcers rushed into the apartment. Emergency workers closely followed them.
Jordan and Jennifer were now unconscious. The emergency team immediately began to work on them. They put them on separate stretchers and rushed them out of the apartment.
Maggie walked into the lounge carrying Lola.
‘Are you okay?’ asked an enforcer.
Maggie nodded.
‘We’re going to take good care of you and your family,’ said the enforcer to the children.
The enforcers called Maggie and Lola’s uncle, Jaymas.
Around half an hour later, Jaymas and Earl Carvaress arrived at the apartment. The Head Enforcer was sitting in the lounge with the girls. Jaymas rushed over to them. Maggie got up and hugged Jaymas. Lola remained seated.
‘What happened?’ Earl asked the Head Enforcer.
‘Their parents have been rushed to the medical centre,’ replied the Head Enforcer. ‘It appears to be a terrible and unfortunate tragedy.’
‘It’s not!’ shouted Maggie as she turned around abruptly to face the Head Enforcer. ‘I told him they were attacked. Why won’t you listen to me?’
‘If that’s the case, these children’s lives are still in danger,’ said Earl firmly. ‘And so are their parents.’
‘The parents are in critical condition; it’s not looking good,’ replied the Head Enforcer. ‘It appears they both suffered massive heart failure.’
‘So you’re saying two perfectly healthy young Sapiens both suffer heart attacks at the exact same time?’ asked Earl, sounding frustrated. ‘There’s more to this.’
‘We can only go where the evidence is leading us,’ replied the Head Enforcer.
‘I’m taking the girls into my protection,’ said Earl firmly. ‘I would appreciate it if you do not mention anything about them in any statement or report you make at this stage.’
‘Sure, but I don’t think a statement will be necessary,’ replied the Head Enforcer.
Earl sighed in annoyance.
‘My enforcers can take you to the medical centre,’ said the Head Enforcer to Jaymas.
‘I would appreciate that,’ replied Jaymas. ‘Thank you, sir.’
Jaymas waited all night at the medical centre for an update. Finally, a medical expert approached him.
‘We’re terribly sorry,’ said the medical expert to Jaymas, who was sitting in the waiting room. ‘I’m afraid your brother and his wife didn’t make it.’
‘I know you did your best,’ replied Jaymas, shaking his head slightly. ‘Thank you.’
An hour later, Jaymas arrived at the Earl’s office. Earl was aware of Jordan and Jennifer’s passing. He had also been informed that the enforcers were not going to investigate their deaths.
‘I’m sorry about everything,’ said Earl to Jaymas as he gestured him to take a seat in his private meeting room. ‘Our priority now has to be the children’s safety.’
‘Who would do this to my family?’ asked Jaymas. ‘They’ve done nothing to anyone.’
‘They’ve become successful,’ replied Earl. ‘That only makes them a threat in the eyes of some.’
‘I don’t know if I can protect them,’ said Jaymas.
‘As long as they are alive, they will be a target,’ replied Earl.
‘Tell me, boss,’ said Jaymas. ‘What do we do?’
‘We give them a reason to no longer pursue them,’ replied Earl.
Four days later, the funerals for Jordan, Jennifer, Maggie, and Lola were held at the main Temple of the House of Divine Knowledge. Jaymas, Jordan’s parents, Earl Carvaress, and Niart Metro, the largest shareholder of the Sapien Loop Transport Company, made brief speeches. Clyde and Candice attended the service in secret.
Once the service was over, Clyde and Candice approached Niart outside the temple.
‘It didn’t go as planned, but at least we left no loose ends,’ said Clyde to Niart.
‘Really, yet somehow the enforcers were notified before you could dispose of the bodies,’ replied Niart.
‘Nothing to do with us,’ replied Clyde. ‘I suspect they were tipped off by someone jealous of our opportunity.’
‘Well, if that’s true, they succeeded because your opportunity has come and gone,’ said Niart with a slight sneer as he walked away.
‘I don’t get it,’ said Charlene to Clyde. ‘How were the children killed?’
‘Sometimes it’s better not to ask too many questions,’ replied Clyde.
Maggie and Lola were staying in a service apartment in the Carvaress section of the Industrial Zone. Earl’s employees were looking after them. After the funeral, Earl and Jaymas went to visit them. They were sitting in the lounge watching cartoons.
‘I’m sorry I had to keep you away from your uncle,’ said Earl as he knelt down in front of the girls. ‘Things are very complicated right now.’
‘They want to kill us, don’t they?’ asked Maggie.
‘We’re going to make sure nobody tries to harm you again,’ said Earl.
‘They won’t find us because they can’t see us,’ said Maggie.
‘You did an excellent job of hiding,’ said Earl. ‘An enforcer told me that you were the one who informed them. You’re very smart and very brave.’
‘It didn’t save Mummy and Daddy,’ said Maggie angrily.
‘I know; I’m so sorry,’ said Earl.
Maggie looked at Jaymas. Tears began to run down her face.
‘I’ll give you some time alone,’ said Earl as he got up. ‘I have no right to intrude.’
Jaymas hugged both Maggie and Lola as Earl led his employees out of the lounge.
Three hours later, Jaymas called Earl, who was still in his office, on his phone.
‘It’s amazing!’ said Jaymas down the phone line. ‘Maggie and Lola have magic powers.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Earl.
‘They can become invisible,’ replied Jaymas. ‘That’s how they avoided detection.’
‘Oh my gosh!’ said Earl. ‘I’ll be over straight away.’
Earl walked into the apartment. Jaymas and Maggie were sitting on the sofa.
‘I’ve heard you can do a clever trick,’ said Earl as he looked at Maggie.
‘I told you earlier,’ replied Maggie as she shrugged her shoulders. ‘Just like the enforcers, you don’t want to listen.’
‘I’m sorry; I didn’t understand you earlier,’ replied Earl. ‘I’ll make more of an effort, I promise.’
‘I’m tired,’ said Maggie as she turned to Jaymas. ‘I want to sleep now.’
Jaymas looked at Earl, and he responded with a nod.
‘Yes, you had a long day,’ said Jaymas as he gently picked Maggie up and carried her into her bedroom.
A few minutes later, Jaymas returned.
‘I’m sorry she wouldn’t do it for you,’ said Jaymas as he sat back down.
‘It’s okay,’ replied Earl. ‘I’m not surprised. She had been through a traumatic experience.’
‘Could this be a reason they killed her parents?’ asked Jaymas.
‘I doubt they knew,’ replied Earl. ‘If they did, they would have been the primary target.’
‘Is it possible to keep something like this a secret?’ asked Jaymas.
‘This world is full of secrets,’ replied Earl. ‘There is so much I wish I could tell you. I’m so sorry.’
‘That’s okay,’ replied Jaymas. ‘I know you have your reasons.’
‘The girls will need to be adopted,’ said Earl firmly. ‘I’m sorry, but they won’t be safe with you. They need to be disassociated from you. They will need new names.’
Jaymas lowered his head and nodded.
Earl was close friends with an older couple who were unable to have children. He trusted them and thought they would be ideal guardians for Maggie and Lula. He arranged for them to meet Maggie and Lula at the service apartment.
Maggie and Lula were sitting on the sofa when the couple entered the lounge.
‘Maggie, Lula, meet my friends Remy and Ronda,’ said Earl as Remy and Ronda approached the children.
‘Nice to meet you,’ said Maggie as she stood up and held her hand out.
‘Nice to meet you, too,’ replied Remy and Ronda together as they shook her hand.
‘They want to give you a permanent home,’ said Earl.
‘Replacements for my real parents!’ replied Maggie curtly. ‘I don’t think so.’ She grabbed Lula’s hand, and they both became invisible.
‘Oh wow!’ exclaimed Remy. ‘How is that possible?’
‘I’m not entirely sure,’ remarked Earl. ‘All I know is that they can do this. This puts their lives in great danger.’
‘If we raise them as Linap, they will go unnoticed,’ said Ronda.
‘That’s what I’m hoping,’ replied Earl.
‘What’s a Linap?’ asked Maggie as she reappeared.
‘If you come with us, we’ll tell you everything,’ replied Ronda.
‘I want chocolate cake!’ called out Lula.
‘We’ll give you the nicest chocolate cake ever,’ said Ronda.
‘Then, I’m coming with you,’ said Lula with a big smile.
‘You won’t buy me off so easily,’ said Maggie as she folded her arms.
‘We live in one of the penthouses of the tallest apartment building in the region,’ said Remy. ‘We even have our own private pool, hot tub and deck.’
‘I want a whole new wardrobe,’ said Maggie.
‘Done deal,’ said Remy as his hand immediately shot out.
Maggie smiled and then shook his hand.
‘Since you’re starting a new life, you’re going to need new names,’ said Earl.
‘Oh, that sounds fun,’ replied Maggie.
‘You can call me, Lily,’ shouted Lula.
‘On that basis, you can call me, Milly,’ replied Maggie. ‘Rhyming names will be cool.’
‘Great!’ said Ronda. ‘Milly and Lily.’
A few days later, Milly and Lily moved into the penthouse apartment. It was not as glamorous as Remy and Ronda had described, but it was still nice. At first, Remy and Ronda gave the girls plenty of space to settle in. Two months after moving in, they decided that they would homeschool the children for a while before introducing them to an external school. They wanted the girls to grow accustomed to being raised as Linap.
One day, after breakfast, Ronda and Remy took the girls into the rumpus room.
‘It is time for us to explain more about ourselves to you,’ said Ronda to the girls as they made themselves comfortable on a beanbag. ‘Just like you, we can do this.’
Both Ronda and Remy became invisible.
‘Magic!’ called out Lily.
Milly pretended to yawn.
Ronda and Remy reappeared. ‘Okay, since you can do that, I guess you’re not too impressed,’ said Ronda. ‘It’s a trick every Linap can do.’
‘Am I a Linap?’ asked Milly.
‘You are now,’ replied Ronda. ‘You used to be Sapien. That was your old life.’
‘Sapiens are not Linap,’ said Milly, sounding puzzled.
‘No, Sapiens are a different species,’ said Remy. ‘They don’t have magic like us.’
‘The ones who killed my parents, they were Linap, right?’ asked Milly in an aggressive tone.
‘If they became invisible, yes, they are,’ replied Remy.
‘They did more than that,’ continued Milly. ‘They made themselves look just like our parents. They stole their shape.’
‘It is a skill called shapeshifting,’ replied Ronda. ‘It is a little more difficult than becoming invisible, but all Linap can do it.’
Ronda shapeshifted into Remy, and then Remy shapeshifted into Ronda.
‘Can I do that?’ asked Milly as her eyes darted between the two.
‘With practice, I bet you can,’ replied Ronda as she and Remy shapeshifted back into themselves. ‘It’s all to do with concentration.’
‘A chip in the foot helps a lot too,’ chuckled Remy as he pointed at his foot.
Remy and Ronda began teaching both Milly and Lily to shapeshift. After two weeks of practising, Milly was able to briefly shapeshift into someone else. Lily was still unable to do so. Instead, she resorted to becoming invisible.
Remy called up Earl and asked him to implant the chip in Milly’s foot. Once she received the implant, Milly’s shapeshifting ability vastly improved.
End of Part One
Sapien Loop Short Stories
Sapien Loop short stories explore the adventures of some of the characters from the Sapien Loop series. These stories are intended to reveal more about individual characters and the events that have helped shape them.
Currently, two books from the series have been published on Amazon; see links below:
All individual chapters can be found on my @captainhive account.
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