Pursuit Of Happiness

A Chordodes formosanus starts its journey in the gut of a praying mantis. In its larvae form, it stays dormant, feeding on the the praying mantis’ meals. As it grows, it begins to break out of the gut of its host and travels into its other interior organs.

One by one, the parasite begins to ingest each vital organ. However, it does not kill it. Instead, it keeps it just alive enough to be able to take over its central nervous system. Once that has been accomplished, the parasite feasts on the host’s heart and brain.

The mantis, now having no control of its body, lays there helplessly as it feels the parasite consume the last bit of agency it owns: its brain. The parasite then forces the now soulless carcass to walk to a nearby body of water only to abandon it and spread its children into other unsuspecting hosts.

The cycle then repeats.

21ST BLOOM
146TH MILLENNIA
346TH CYCLE
10:00 PM

Somewhere in a cave…

Smoke fills the air. A big drilling mechanism slams against the rocky ground at a constant monotonic rate. Busy workers can be seen both passing by and supervising the machine. At a faraway distance, the ground shakes with less vigor but yet still very audible. A worker applies a drill to a crystal near a wall.

The worker gets tapped on the shoulder by another worker: “Vance, please treat these crystals with care. They’re worthless if you break them improperly.” Vance nodded as the other senior worker walked away. Vance, however, was not in any mental state to keep going. “Wait… Rex, could I take five?”

Rex nods.

Vance, now settled down for his break, opened a container of rations and began to consume one. Rex, presumably out of nowhere, sat down next to him.

“You keep convincing me that you not cut out for this” Rex said “I put in a good word for you. Don’t make me regret it.”

Vance glanced at Rex while still eating his rations.

Fearful about his position being in jeopardy, he responded: “I won’t let you down.”

A bell suddenly rang. Four chimes.

“Already…?” Rex whispered “What is going on today?”

Rex stood up and looked down at Vance: “You’re off the hook for now. I better see you sharp and ready to go by starting time.” Vance nodded then walked to his quarters.

Vance laid on his mattress looking at the clock ticking on the wall. The strong fluorescent lights hummed ever so silently. Suddenly the door opened. Inside came a worker covered in dark ash.

“Landon, Man… What did I tell you about walking into the room like that? Can you at least take off a layer or two?” Vance exclaimed.

Landon, not seeming to pay much attention, threw himself on his mattress.

Vance, now very much annoyed, rose from his bed and stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut. He began walking down the catwalk while looking at the lights of all the drilling equipment scaling the walls of the cave. As he walked, the lights began to turn off, row by row, til only a void of darkness took over the cave’s exterior. As he walked, the fluorescent lights ticked on in front of him and ticked off behind him at a set distance as if light itself was following closely behind.

As Vance made his way to the end of the catwalk, he walked down a few sets of staircases to the bottom. He proceeded further til he reached a small metal shack. Muffled music could be heard from the inside. As Vance made his way inside, he sat at the bar of the establishment. “What will it be today?” The bartender asked, in which Vance replied: “Just a few blue ones.”

The bartender went over and grabbed a metal cup. He poured a few blue crystals and poured water almost to the brim. He put it through a mixer for a few seconds and handed it to Vance. He stared at it. An emanating blue glow came from the liquid inside. He began to drink.

After the drink, Vance returned to the cat walk. As he walked back, he looked up at the dark sky once again. Only this time, he saw blue shimmers twinkling ever so slightly. In an instant, his vision began to blur and he stumbled onto his knees. He put his head off to the side of the cat walk and threw up. He then slowly recovered himself onto his feet and walked back to his room.

It was dark inside. The fluorescent lights were now off. He threw himself onto his mattress and stared once again at the ticking clock. It ticked slower. 12:49 AM. His stomach was twisting and turning. His mind was mush. His vision was blurry and a pounding headache began to take over. He closed his eyes. “Screw this place” he said out loud. “Finally something we agree on” Landon replied.

4:00 AM

A loud banging noise filled the room. Vance, startled, sprung up. He looked at Landon, which was awoken by the sound as well. Vance began to walk over to the door.

The banging continued, this time much louder.

Vance opened the door. Two cloaked masked men stood outside.

“Can I help you?” Vance inquired dryly. “Señor Velasco, we must have you accompany us downstairs” The right man replied.

Vance, initially confused, now recognized not who these men were but rather who they were affiliated with.

“And why would I do that? I mentioned more than enough times I wanted no further contact with any of you. How did you even find me?” Vance responded.

“These are… dire times” the left man began.

“This is not a request” the right man added.

Vance, justifiably frustrated, entertained them for the time being. He glanced at Landon which was now up and holding a long pipe defensively.

“You know these guys?” Landon asked.

“Not at all. But I know where they came from. It shouldn’t be long” Vance replied.

Landon put the pipe down as Vance left the room with the two men, shutting the door behind him.

Vance walked behind the two men. Their cloaks moved swiftly with the hot winds. For a brief moment, Vance could see their clothes. Bulky, coarse silver boots. Dark gray, heavy duty pants neatly folded a few times over the boots. Their gray lower half contrasted heavily with their black cloaks. The right one possessed a sickle on the right side of his belt.

The right one noticed Vance glaring. Vance looked away as soon as they made eye contact.

“I am Rene” the right one began “My acquaintance’s name is Luther. I don’t believe I need to tell you who we serve.”

Luther looked back at Vance. “Please do forgive us for the departure time. Time is of the essence” he stated.

Vance stopped. “Departure?”

The two stopped as well.

“As mentioned… this is not a request” Rene said.

The two began to walk again. Vance reluctantly followed.

They reached the end of the catwalk and began to descend the staircases. They made their way down. Waiting for them on the ground level was fifteen additional men all dressed exactly like Rene and Luther. They were posted all along the perimeter of the quarters.

Vance, now very on edge, realized that no matter what he tried, he wasn’t escaping this.

“Where are we going?” He inquired.

“We will clarify on the way. Please come aboard” Rene said as he stopped in front of a cart with six mechanical legs. The cart was lit up, curtains covering what was inside. It was of average size. Vance estimated it could fit a maximum capacity of five.

Vance, failing at his intelligence goal, resorted to obliging. He knew perfectly well how powerful these men were. He began to climb the steps onto the cart. Rene and Luther followed. The other fifteen men made their way onto other carts, much smaller but in turn armed with weaponry.

Aboard the cart, Vance took a seat in the middle while Rene and Luther sat down across from him. They shut the door and the cart began to move. Curtains obscured the outside view.

“Where are we going?” he repeated.

“Things will become clear with time” Rene said dismissively.

Luther brought down a tray table from the side of the cart. He pulled out a covered tray from underneath his seat. He then removed the lid.

“Please, get your day started with a meal” Luther said while putting the lid aside.

“All the cloak and dagger has made me lose my appetite” Vance replied.

Luther looked down as his cloak in confusion.

“N-no… Not literally. It’s an expression. It means I don’t know what the hell is going on. It’s got me on edge” Vance clarified.

“Ah… I see” Luther replied.

“Madre mia…” Vance remarked disappointingly.

6:00 AM

The cart trotted along. The two were rather unresponsive. Luther occasionally broke the silence with petty small talk. Vance was in no mood. He had tried some of the food provided, cautiously picking away at it.

The convoy suddenly stopped. Luther looked up and looked at Rene. They both seemed to be just as confused. Rene put his hand up to his ear and pressed down.

“What is it?” Rene messaged out.

A long pause followed.

Rene began messaging again: “Well, you know how to handle it… or should I assume you can’t handle a simple task like that?”

“It’d be best to take an alternative route” Luther mentioned.

Rene, agreeing, messaged it out: “Switch routes. I assume one of you knows which way to go.”

The cart suddenly veered to the right and began going at pace once more.

“Are you going to fill me in?” Vance asked.

“Just a slight deviation off course. All planned for” Luther responded.

A distant boom suddenly fills the atmosphere. The ground of the cart rumbles from vibration. Vance jumps from fear.

“I thought front line was supposed to deal with those?” Rene asked rhetorically to Luther.

“It appears they missed a few” Luther answered.

Vance jumped in right after: “Seriously, what the hell is going on?”

Luther looked at Rene. Rene sighed.

“It goes without saying that what is spoken here is strictly between you and the Velasco family. Is this clear?” Rene asked.

“I kept my mouth shut last time I left. What makes you think I’ll start talking now?” Vance stated.

“Is this clear?” Rene repeated.

“Christ… Yes” Vance replied.

Rene and Luther then both took off their headsets and placed it in a thick metal box, closing it afterwards.

“You have surprisingly worked in many mining companies. Gamma, Delta, Lambda, and now Omicron. These companies all focus on different minerals. It’s what gives these companies power and leverage. With your track record, it was no surprise that you needed much assistance in transferring from Lambda to Omicron considering it is one of the most powerful and sought after companies to work in” Rene began.

Vance scoffed.

“Each mineral has its purpose and designated buyers. Coal, being the most abundant, is used as a means to fuel non-living machinery. Red Crystal is the least abundant, commonly used for powerful weaponry due to its low stability.” Rene continued.

“Tell me something I don’t know” Vance remarked sarcastically.

“I am getting there.” Rene replied.

He then continued: “Each mineral can be turned into a useful substance commonly given names. Coal turns into petroleum. Red Crystals get turned into Oranium. Blue Crystals, however, are a peculiar type of crystal. Publicly, they are not given a name of what they are turned into. The public only knows them to be a strong secondary ingredient to a lot of other minerals. However by itself, it has a very special name. Procanium.”

A long pause then followed.

“Protection material” Vance said in disbelief.

“Indeed. Nearly ninety percent of the material goes onto create other substances. However ten percent is reserved for governmental use. One quarry alone is not much. However, combine tens, hundreds, even thousands of quarries and… well… that’s what keeps the turned ones out. As a matter of a fact, we ran into a few of them back there. That explosion was a trap set up by them.” Rene explained.

Rene pulled out a piece of parchment paper. It contained a graph of Procanium production. He pointed at the beginning.

“This was Procanium production a few millennia ago. High output.” Rene began. He then moved his finger all the way to the right. The production was steady. Out of nowhere, the graph nosedived.

“This is Procanium production a millennium ago. Signs point the cause to some external threat extracting the blue crystals before we can find them. I believe your team may have suffered the same problem” Rene inquired.

“The blue crystals were unstable. Hard to mine. I’ve done enough drilling to know that what we were mining were scraps” Vance remarked. Rene nodded.

“Since this sudden drop in production, we have had to switch to our hoarded supply. The monarchy at the Crypt Capital have made it priority number one to replenish this production. However, our time is up. Supply is coming to an end. Due to this, Procanium has been moved to essential districts only. That means houses, like the Velasco house, have stopped receiving it” Rene stated.

“So why am I here?” Vance asked.

“For reasons that none of us here are allowed to know, you are required to return to the Velasco household. For the reasons I can tell you, it essentially boils down to this: As of yesterday, you were one of fifteen children of the Velasco family. As of the current date, only three remain including you. The turned ones have made it their priority to guarantee that the Velasco family ends with your father. The reason why is between you and your father” Rene continued.

Vance froze once he heard the news of his siblings. He did not know any of them. However, the simple thought of being only three remaining put him very uneasy. Vance also realized that by being in the position that he was in, he was now exposed. The turned ones, a vicious plague, were making it their number one priority to make sure he did not live any longer.

“That trap earlier… Don’t they know where we are now? Aren’t we being followed? Why couldn’t you save the others?” Vance asked.

Luther, now sensing Vance’s unease, took over answering: “The Velasco family has drafted many plans for these sort of events. However, the reason we lost so many was due to us not being aware of the attacks taking place. To put it in other words, we simply could not get there in time to save them. You, however, are a very special case. You left the Velasco family at a very young age. Ever since then, you have left almost no trace of your true identity. In short, you have made it very hard for the turned ones to find you. The other two were very much in the public’s image and thus are higher on the list. You really have nothing to worry about.”

“You mean to tell me that the other two survivors are what… gone? Offered up as bait all to get me to the Velasco house?” Vance frustratingly responded.

“Oh dear… Maybe I shouldn’t have said that” Luther whispers.

“Correct me if I am wrong, Señor, but you were the one who considered the Velasco’s as ‘no family of yours’ before you left for good” Rene argued.

“I do not consider any of my ancestors family. That does not include my oblivious siblings. You all really like to sacrifice your own kind. It’s sickening.” Vance exclaimed.

Rene leaned in very close to Vance’s face and whispered: “The battle has been lost, Señor. We simply chose the best of the worst options. Are you unable to understand that?”

A silence followed. Vance refused to make eye contact with the mask. Rene backed away.

Rene and Luther retrieved their headsets from the metal box.

He held his hand to his ear once again.

“We will arrive shortly” He stated.

Suddenly, the carriage stopped. A loud rumble abruptly echoed through the caverns. Then, a low prolonged scraping noise. Once the noise ended, the carriage began moving again. Now behind, the scraping noise started again and abruptly stopped with a loud bang. The gate opening and closing, Vance presumed.

The carriage once again came to a halt. Only this time, another different masked man opened the door from the outside.

“Welcome, Señor” the masked man began “Please come with me.”

Vance stared at the two, still seated.

“Go on ahead. We will join you shortly” Luther affirmed.

Vance exited the carriage and followed the masked man. This man looked different than the rest. He wore a cloak colored crimson instead of a black.

“I am Christopher. I am the captain of the Quick Reaction Force for the Velasco Family. Those two back there are two of my most trusted men. You will become very acquainted with them. They will be your servants here. As much as I would be honored to serve you, I have a duty to serve your father” Christopher began.

“What an honor that must be” Vance said sarcastically.

As they walked, they were surrounded by hundreds of masked men all kneeling with their heads down. Vance’s confusion only grew.

Vance stared at the house. It was more akin to a mansion. He stared around the mansion and saw that it was enclosed in the cavernous walls, similar to his workplace. Noticeably different was how clean the exterior was. The walls looked carved with designs and pillars in a consistent pattern. The roof of the cavern covered in crystals that emanated a faint glow. The floor was covered in turquoise plants. Lush vegetation streaked the edges where the floor and walls met.

Vance and Christopher entered through the front entrance. They walked up a central stairwell in the main area. They turned left and right through a series of corridors. They finally reached a room. Christopher opened the door and showed Vance in. As Vance stood in the room, Christopher stood under the threshold.

“Anything that you might need, please let us know. Everything is still the same as when you left” Christopher began “I will come and retrieve you in a few hours for you to meet your father. I urge you to not only prepare yourself, but guide yourself to think democratically before and during the meeting. If you choose to talk with emotion, I am afraid it will only prolong your stay here.”

Vance sat on the edge of the bed.

“Please… try to get some rest, Señor”

Christopher shut the door as he left.

The room was silent. A clock ticked on the nightstand. Next to it was a folded paper propped up. It read: “Welcome home, Vance!”

Vance laid flat on his bed. He looked up and around. No clock to stare at. He turned over on his side facing the clock on the nightstand. He stared as the second hand traversed around its circumference.

A loud ring emanated from the telephone behind the note. Vance stared at it. Not seeming to move. The phone rang… once… twice… thrice…

Vance lifted himself from the bed and propped himself once again beside it. He answered the phone. He did not say a word.

A few seconds of silence. Only static could be heard from the other side.

“Vance?” A familiar voice began.

“Luther… Hi” Vance replied.

A pause followed. Static continued.

“How are you settling in?” He asked.

Vance replied quickly: “Fine. Where did you two go? I thought you two were coming behind us.”

“We wish we could be there at the current moment… However, trouble has seemed to reach us sooner than expected beyond the gates. Rene and I have been dispatched to lead a team out and handle the threat” Luther said with an regretful tone “I hear they put you in your old room? Is everything still as you like it?”

“Did you have something to do with this?” Vance inquired.

“Ehh… I simply proposed the idea” He replied.

Vance smirked. “You really make yourself to be a much more approachable guy compared to your partner”

“Don’t hold it against him… He simply is trying to protect you. In his eyes, that means sacrificing his goodwill” Luther added.

“Well… Thank you anyways, Luther” Vance replied.

“It’s the least I could do, Señor. Please expect your things to arrive shortly. We made sure to collect them from your quarters. Your roommate gave us quite a few snares in the process.”

Vance chuckled and replied: “Don’t hold it against him.”

“We won’t, Señor. Your house is free for you to do as you please. Help is available at all hours of the cycle” Luther said “Good night, Señor. We will meet soon enough.”

“Good night, Luther. Stay safe” Vance said as he put the telephone down on its stand.

Three knocks emanated from the hallway door.

Vance stood up and walked over. He opened the door. There was nobody. Just a suitcase placed right outside. Vance stuck his head outside the room and looked around. No one in sight. He took the bag in and put it on the side wall.

He glanced at the open door. The yellow hallway lights lit up the hallways outside. Vance felt attracted to that light. He knew the lay of the land. He stepped out and began to walk through the hallway.

As he slowly walked, he looked at the floor. It was a red carpet with diagonal crosses of yellow filling in the rest in a pattern. He walked slower, staring at the carpet. In his mind, he saw wooden cubes and balls colored in red, green and blue. He remembered himself as a little boy once again. Yelling happily as he rolled the red and blue balls down the carpet floor.

He began to walk, following his little self down the hallway. His self stood up and began running to the corner of the hallway, turning right when reaching the end. Vance began to speed up and turned the corner only to find his self was gone. All he could see now was a dimly lit hallway.

He continued down the hallway eventually finding himself back at the main stairwell. He descended the stairs and made his way into the inner corridor of the house. He recalled the